Rocket Raccoon Book 2: More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
by Leenden
Summary: Alright y'all. Here is the prologue to book 2 of my story, it will be another 13 chapters, which I will try to upload once a day until complete. I hope you're ready for the continuation. Again I'm not going to be writing much in the summaries, because of spoiler issues for the story. I hope you enjoy it, please commet and let me know what you liked or didn't like.
1. Prologue

Rocket Raccoon:

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

By Jeremy McLaughlin

Prologue

A dim eerie light danced across the walls of the large chamber. The light from over a hundred black and white holo-monitors cast shadowing figures along the wall. Each of the holo-monitors shifted and flowed around as if someone were searching for something or someone. More accurately they were searching for a friend from long ago. With very little success.

Artemis let out a long sigh and lay his head back. The bio-chair that he now lived in, swelled up to give him a soft cushion for which to lay his head. He aimed his milky unseeing eyes up to the ceiling, lost in contemplation. It had been months since he and his Agents lost track of Rocket Raccoon. Granted it was inevitable to happen once Agent 1 had been caught following the raccoonoid. What had escaped his knowledge, was the tree servant Groot.

Granted the Guardians of the Galaxy were well known throughout the stars, but who was to know that Groot and Rocket were inseparable. If only they'd had made that known on the galactic interweb, or an informant would have thought to make a note of it. The unfortunate lost of Agent 1 could have been avoided. All contingencies had been planned for, but none of his knowledge hounds had revealed anything about a living tree bodyguard. That was last time he'd seen Rocket.

"Where could you be my friend, how have you so perfectly escaped my gaze?" Artemis spoke to no one, his voice echoing off the walls of the large chamber.

Never in his wildest dream would he have thought that Rocket would be so good at hiding out. There was also no doubt is his wizened mind, that Rocket was now hunting for knowledge about the Deadlights Society. That would make finding him all the more difficult. Perhaps there was another way to find him. A way he and his Agents hadn't thought of.

"Agent 19, report to me at once." He spoke into his headset.

Artemis's voice was distorted from his ever growing mass. Always being fed fats and nutrition through tubes. Without the ability to move freely or exercise without the aid of his chair, was taking it's toll on his body. More and more he was taking the form of a blob. His once otter-like face had become a stretched featureless mass. Now he was only Artemis by memory. But from his sacrifice of body, he'd gained the ability to access computer and electronics on thousands of worlds. He alone could control the vast armada of the Deadlights Society ships with just a thought. The only reason he had his Agents at all, was to recruit for his army. Every brain needed brawn, ever nation needed foot soldiers, thus he had his.

"Computer lights up fifty percent, monitors off." He croaked out.

The light's came up in several rows across the tall ceiling, illuminating the awesome chamber. It was smooth and sterile. The white metal tiles on the floor and ceiling were in direct contrast to the smooth, glossy, black metal panels on the walls. If you were in the room for the first time, it would be impossible to find any of the doors out of the room. Furthermore even if you did know where the doors were. Without the proper clearance and a headset you couldn't open them anyway. Everything aboard this flying colony was automated and Artemis and his Agents controlled it all.

A light was cast across the white floor as the far door opened. The sound of footfall filled the room. Along with the sounds came two glowing red lenses set into a helmet. She presented herself and saluted, much like an obedient soldier. A smile moved to Artemis's lips, not really so much of a smile, rather just one side of his mouth cocked upward. Agent 19 responded by removing her helmet, tucking it under her arm.

Alicia's Ar'Lierian features were not unlike that of an Earth otter, the only exception was her once golden fur had been altered and mutated to glow green with Supernova Gamma radiations. It had left her with the unique ability to shape change, but pulling off such a feat was difficult for long periods of time. Her glowing green eyes were radiant, and seemed to pierce the hardest of hearts. But when she gazed at Artemis, they always softened with fondness for the man that was her father.

"Father, you summoned me?" Alicia's voice was soft, but it still echoed in the large chamber.

"Yes my child." There was a happy tone in his voice. "Have you had any luck locating our friend?"

"No father, he covers his tracks at every turn. The people he usually speaks too don't know where he is. One Peter Quill hasn't spoke to him in three weeks, Drax the destroyer it's been even longer. Even the Nova Corps have no record of where he's gone. We're stuck." Alice said the disappoint in her voice was heavy, not just disappointment but sadness.

Artemis rotated his chair slightly and caressed her cheek softly. "I know your pain my child, your love for him is strong. It sets my circuitry ablaze. I too am sad for his absence, but we will find a way."

Alicia pressed her cheek against his hand, blushing despite herself. "We still have one more lead. Gamora the deadliest woman in the universe. We've not contacted her, quite frankly we're frightened to confront her."

"She is dangerous and I doubt that she knows where he is anyway. Neither of them like each other very much, even when they have to work together. Do you have any ideas?" Artemis raised his one good eyebrow in a questioning fashion.

"Not me, but Aunt Aisha had an idea." Alicia paused, her glowing green eyes were locked on her father expression.

Aisha, Artemis's sister had been brought on board as an agent when the Thoke family farm collapsed under her control. It wasn't unexpected, nor was she to blame. Artemis Jr. had been into some shady dealing. Which his like and dealings had been extinguished at the hands of Rocket Raccoon. Good riddance were the linger thoughts on Artemis's mind. The little bastard had sold him to a laboratory when he was sick and bed ridden. The laboratory was responsible for giving him the chair, that had given him life again.

Unfortunately the laboratory had met with an accident at the hands of Artemis. He had some regret that it had to come to that, but they wanted to govern his power. Tell him how and when he could us it. Unacceptable after everything he'd been through. Nothing like giving him the Crown Jewels of the Shi'ar Empire and telling him not to spend any of it..

"Father?" Alicia asked.

"Yes, sorry my daughter I was lost in thought about my dear sister." His sympathetic words, touched Alicia.

"She is doing well father, and enjoying her new surroundings. Thanks to her being here she was able to come up with a great plan for finding Rocket Raccoon. She had been dealing with a trader named Vargus. He would help her from time to time with farm shipment. He's a Kree merchant that only deals with secret organizations and societies throughout the galaxy. He is very formidable at keeping his contacts and information private. Even we've had difficulties finding out who these other groups that he works for are." Alicia stated tucking her hands behind her back, her helmet digging into her side.

The plan unfolded in her mind, making sure that if there were weak points in it, she could address them before reveling it to her father. Things were different between them now, he was a boss first and then a father. She didn't want to seem incompetent in his eyes. Failure was not an option.

"And." Artemis spoke, he was well aware that she was going back over the plan looking for holes, a warm feeling filled his circuits..

"Vargus is in all essence a space pirate, but one of honor. He had been wrongly accused of dumping cargo and it landed him in a spot of trouble with the Sakaranns. Luckily for him Gamora had dealings with the same group of Sakaraans. The deal as you may have guessed went sour and many Sakaraans died. Gamora saved Vargus's life and helped him escape." Alicia bit her bottom lip for a moment, running through the last few bits of information. "This is where his honor comes into play. He owes Gamora a favor in exchange for his life. We could somehow set up a meeting between Vargus and our friend. If they both agree, we can set up a trap to snare him."

Artemis ponders this thought through his unseeing eye, all at once something hit him. "It's brilliant. I shall set the meeting up on the bones of the Celestial Being, Knowhere. It would seem the most neutral plane for them to converse. Once there, you should be able to capture him."

"What if he brings his pet tree?" Alicia asked, the question was most certainly relevant.

"Leave that to me. Give me a day or two to set things up. Then take a ship and ten of your best agents. Lie in wait for him, when the time comes you know what to do. Do not fail me this time. So much hinges on our friend." Artemis's voice became ever more distorted as he lost himself to thought.

"As you wish father." Alicia said giving another salute before turning away.

Alicia pulled her helmet back down over her head, the green glow of her fur disappearing. Artemis watched as she walked through the door, it closed behind her. There was a loneliness in the room, when he was...more of a man the loneliness would have caused him a cold chill. But now with the help of his chair, he would never be alone. The puzzle was almost complete, his family was almost complete. Just one more piece was missing.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Friends in Low Places

Knowhere, it's a good name for a place where no one wants to be found. The mining colony was founded on the dead body of a Celestial being, ancient and deadly. Well not so deadly now. Small digger drones and mining pods zipped around the dark sky, harvesting whatever bits and pieces of resources they could muster. Each piece more and more valuable as they became more and more scarce.

The main hub of the planet wasn't a bad place to go to spend some units. They'd made the city a veritable cornucopia of vice and sin. Not a bad idea, when you live on one giant money ball. Individuals flocked to this place with the hopes of becoming rich, only to have it taken awat from them by the merchants and vendors who already are rich and have the know how to become more rich. That's alright though, being broke and homeless wasn't too bad on the face of a celestial being. There were more than enough alleyways to slink off into. More than enough vendors to purchase your organs. More than enough places to sell you drugs, and alcohol. More than enough gutters to lay face down in to die.

Rocket Raccoon knew about that first hand. Having spent many a years slumming in places like this. He would come with a pocket full of units and the determination to spend them all, none too wisely should be added to that determination. Gambling, women, booze, even an occasional hallucinogen to pass the time, but he always woke up face down in the gutter of an alleyway. His best friend Groot slump next to him, protecting him from pickpockets, organ thieves, and all around misanthropes.

"Never again", could be on the list of top ten things Rocket Raccoons most says. Right up there with "There's no one like me, 'cept me.", "Blam, murdered you!", and the all too popular. "I know I said never again Groot 'ol buddy, but this is a celebration. It would be rude not to." The last one was always one higher than the "Never again!" one.

Those days were behind him now, he was on a new mission. He and Groot had come to Knowhere looking for something far more valuable. Information, it was key to finding what he was looking for. Not what, Who? The mysterious changeling had covered her tracks exceedingly well. The only information he was able to uncover was the term Deadlights Society, which meant nothing to anyone other than Rocket and Groot.

Luckily for Rocket Raccoon, Gamora knew of a deep space trader named Vargus, who knew a lot about underground societies. Many of the societies sought him out for deliveries both legit and black market. Vargus made it a point to keep to himself, and wasn't always a chatty Kathy, but Gamora saved him from a Kree torture cruiser many years back, well saved most of him. So in essence Vargus owed her a big one. After some prodding, Vargus agreed to meet with Rocket, but only if the meeting place was Knowhere, and he was to come alone.

Rocket moved through the dirt streets with ease, his lumbering companion Groot at his heels. His gray poncho was pulled tightly across his chest, despite his fur it was cold in space. It was cold on Knowhere, not just the weather either. The reception Rocket and Groot received was colder than a Space Banshee's nipples in December. Which on record, was very cold indeed.

Rocket knew bringing Groot along would be risky business, but Groot insisted, which made Rocket feel better about meeting a stranger in a strange place. Groot had agreed to wait outside of the establishment once they got there. Although Groot reassured Rocket that if anything when down inside the establishment all he had to do was holler, and Groot would find him. This also made Rocket feel more comfortable, as too did the twin photon blasters tucked at his hips, and the double barreled atomizer strapped to his back under the poncho. It was concealed well enough, but it made him appear as though he had a hunchback.

Rocket rounded the corner and paced down a long alleyway. The pair had been walking since they landed an hour ago. Their meeting place, a tavern known as The Gory Hole. No doubt a tasteless play on words, that Rocket had only chuckled about a few hundred times. It didn't seem that nice of a place, but that hadn't been left to Rocket's choosing, he was there only for the information. Nothing else!

Just then Groot looked down and noticed that he was walking alone, he lurched around in a slow pace to see Rocket leaning against the wall of a building. Before him was a barely dressed, and barely legal Krylorian girl. Her beautiful fuchsia skin shown in brilliant contrast against her dark, leather attire. Her auburn hair was pulled back tightly in a pair of bouncy pigtails. Groot watched in dismay as Rocket was using his charm to work over this naive girl. They were in a hurry, and distractions like these weren't good for negotiations. Rocket slipped the girl a unit chip, a device that carries a certain amount of units, not unlike a prepaid credit card. There was a certain amount of giggling from the girl, before she slipped the unit chip inside of her bra.

Groot shook his head slowly and grumbled. "I...Am Groot!" The tone was low and none too pleased.

"Hang on buddy, this will only take a second longer." Rocket turned his attention back to the girl who was leaning in closely.

Groot watched as the pair were whispering stuff to each other, he craned his neck trying to hear what they were saying, but the moment he could make it out, all he could hear was, "See you soon." The girl's whispering voice giving away the fact that she was older, and more experienced than she looked. But experienced at what Groot thought. The Krylorian woman disappeared around the corner and was gone. Rocket moved to rejoin Groot, who was still staring at him in disbelief.

"What?!" Rocket said, his body animation was over exaggerated.

"I am Groot!" Groot shook his head, rubbing two braided finger branches together as if to say "shame on you".

"Nah me? Come on buddy that was entertainment for a later time. I'm one hundred percent on this one I promise. Trust me okay." Rocket reassured his giant friend.

Groot just let out a deep sigh and shrugged. There was just no reasoning with Rocket sometimes. It was like trying to convince a Nova Corps computer that the color of the Xandarian sky was green, which is isn't. No matter how compelling the argument you will lose against the Nova Corps computer, so too will you lose against Rocket Raccoon.

They reached the end of the alley and Rocket looked up at his friend. "Alright buddy, you wait right here. I'll call you if and when I get into a spot of trouble."

Groot crossed his large tree trunk arms in front of him. "I am Groot?"

"No I meant to say if and when. Can you remember any time anything like this ever worked out well for us?" Rocket patted his friend comfortingly.

Groot smirked and shook his head. "I am Groot."

"You said it pal. I'll see you soon." With that Rocket disappeared into the tavern.

It was dirty, smoky, and smelled of rotten garbage on a hot day. All around him where bums, hobos, destitute miners, prostitutes, and one clown. One clown you ask, see no one cares about society's downtrodden. Rocket stifled a chuckle that was building inside of him. Carefully he stepped around a fallen patron, laying face down on the floor. There was some sort of VIP room set at the back of the establishment. Rocket could only see one table through a beaded curtain. He was almost certain, that his contact would be back there. _Vargus, his name was Vargus._ Rocket reminded himself as he made his way through the bodies on the floor.

There was a beaded curtain that separated the two rooms. No doubt the back room was reserved for VIPs and those who didn't want to be disturbed. Rocket slipped through the beaded curtain and was stopped abruptly by a large Badoon in a gleaming set of Silverite armor. The only thing that gleamed more than his armor, where his two beady yellow eyes that seemed to be sizing the raccoonoid up. Rocket observed the gleaming armor. It's origin had to be one of two things, either the Badoon had never seen a moment of combat, or he'd just bought new armor after Vargus paid him a large sum of money for a job well done. Either way, Rocket didn't want to research the point further.

"You have no business here!" The Badoon said, his voice was uninviting.

"I'm..." Rocket started but was interrupted by a voice that sounded sickly and gravelly coming from the back booth in the VIP room.

"Rocket Raccoon, I was told of yer comin'." The voice called.

Rocket was begrudgingly waved on by the Badoon, but he could still feel it's beady eyes on the back of his head. If those eyes would have been blasters, there would be nothing left, but a greasy hole on his raccoonoid neck stem. Even though Rocket knew it wasn't going to happen, it didn't stop the building shutter that started at the tip of his tail and shot up his back.

The booth at the end of the row was very dark and ominous in a way. There was only one of the two sconces above the table that was lit. Not to mention there was an off putting smell that surrounded it._ Com'on! Man up for Drax sake, you're being a wuss_. Echoed through his mind. When he reached the booth, he looked over at the bulbous figure planted in the seat. Blue flesh, wrinkled and dried out. Impossibly fat to the point of sloppy uneven breathing. It was such that if this being would have been sun bathing on the Xandar Beach shoreline. Ten or twelve Xandarians would rush to try and push it back into the water before he died. Rocket choked down a laugh as well as urge to throw up.

"Arr ya painting me picture or arr ya gonna stare all day. Sit ye down, you furry bastard!" The accent, mixed with his sickly gravelly voice seemed like it fell right out of a cartoon pirate show.

Vargus had to have been the oldest Kree Rocket had ever seen. Rocket pulled his poncho over his muzzle, the Kree smelled as if he might be the oldest thing in the galaxy. Rocket hoisted himself up on the seat across from the Kree. There was hardly any room for him to sit down, since the table had been moved so far out to make room for Vargus's girth. In a split decision Rocket decided that sitting on the table may be more comfortable.

"Welcome boy, Gamora be telling me yer wantin' ta see me." A robotic eye swiveled around aimlessly at first, it wasn't until a second later that Rocket figured out that it was scanning him for data.

"I'm looking for information on the a group called the Deadlights Society." Rocket chocked as the reeking stench was permeating his poncho.

"Dinnit anyone ever tell ya, it's rude ta come ta a secret meetin' packin'" The Kree raised his face to the light, most of the flesh had been replaced with synthetic and robotic parts.

"You just said I had to come alone, you didn't say I had to come unarmed. Now answer my question so I can get out of here." In truth Rocket just wanted this meeting to end so he could breath fresh air again.

"Truer words were never spokin'." Vargus reached up and grabbed his stein with one oddly mangled arm, half robot half flesh or a mesh of both it was impossible to tell. "Why would ye be wantin' ta know about the Deadlights?"

Rocket leaned back, trying to keep his head straight against the stench. "My reasons are my own, I was told that you had information."

"Oh I'm just bein' friendly is all." Vargus smiled a crooked grin, crooked mostly because all the muscles on the left side of his face were dead.

"Good gods man, what the flark is that smell?" Rocket finally gasped out pulling back his poncho and gagging hard.

"Yer about goddamn rude one ain't ye. I'm rottin' here, that's what that smell be. Me body is rejectin' me implants slowly, makin' the flesh near them corrode in a putrid mass of boils and pus!" Vargus was up out of his seat, a wave of nauseating stink washed over Rocket.

Rocket had to get away, he couldn't concentrate on anything but the smell. It was like someone spent an afternoon cutting and cleaning fish, putting the parts into a plastic bag and left them out in the sun. Rocket fought back the saliva building up in his mouth. That was when he realized that Vargus was blocking his only escape route. Call Groot or wait? Rocket asked himself, as he tried to blink the tears out of his eyes. When he opened his mouth to call for help, he choked on his own spit.

"Yer not goin' anywhere ye furry flark. In fact yer gonna help me. There be a price on yer head so big, I'll be able to get me implants replaced. Maybe get some really nice ones too." Vargue's smell had Rocket backed against the wall.

"What about your deal with Gamora?" Rocket finally coughed out and clenched his teeth, bile was teasing the back of his throat.

"That bitch be the reason I be like this! If she'd let me die the honorable death, this shit never be happening ta me in the first place!" Vargus growled out, his breath was only slightly less offensive than his body odor.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Rocket moved his hands down to rest on the grips of his twin blasters.

"Go ahead boy, you'll be dead before ya have 'em out." Vargus dared the raccoonoid to make a move.

Rocket swallowed hard trying to choke the bile down. Thanks to the terrible smell he was only working at half of his abilities. He wished he could have called for Groot when he had the chance, but now he was at the mercy of Vargus. If he tried to call for help Vargus would have him dead to right.

Rocket closed his eyes for a second whispering a silent prayer to whatever God would have him. "Come on Gods, gimme a hand here. I know I've not always been a good little coon, but I could really use your help right now. Just send me some help, please."

Vargus gasped heavily arching his back. A piercing scream coming from his misshaped lips. His distorted face was twisting as if he were suffering from some agonizing pain. Rocket wasn't sure what was happening, but he was drawing one his blaster so he could have it ready. Something popped on Vargus's stomach showering watery blood, and chunks of flesh onto Rocket, the smell seeping instantly into his fur. The scream piqued at an ear piercing tone. From the spot on his stomach that had popped, Rocket could see a bladed tip erupted, splashing Rocket with an even heavier wave of gore this time.

Rocket stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. Then the bladed tip disappeared back through Vargus's stomach. Vargus's towering body teetered causing Rocket to climb up on the table once again. He was slipping and sliding all around from the infected blood that covered him. The body toppled forward onto it's face on the floor, nearly hitting Rocket before he'd managed to get onto the table. There was a figure posed behind the spot where Vargus had been standing. He was clad all in black leather armor cleaning the blood from the blade and shaft of his spear with a discarded bar rag.

The Badoon that had given Rocket trouble earlier was laying face down of the floor as well. It was amazing the similarity that the Badoon's armor had with Swiss cheese. The obvious difference was Swiss cheese didn't bleed. The death of the Badoon was brought by the hand of another black leather clad figure. Rocket looked away from them trying to squint the tears out of his eyes. _No one every looked like a badass while tears were streaking down their face_, Rocket thought.

Vargus's body quivered on final time and collapsed in on itself. The air escaping in the form of flatulence sending another noxious cloud into the air. A solid wave of the stench hit Rocket hard pushing him over the edge. He hung his head over the side of the table and threw up all over the body. The surge to vomit again followed the first wave hard, but there just wasn't anything left to spew. Rocket closed his eyes tightly and spit, then spit again. It had been a long time since he'd thrown up like that. It only added to the strength of the smell though. Rocket had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

The two dark figures turned their attention to the raccoonoid. Rocket met their hollow red gazes from their visor eye pieces on their helmets. They were almost the exact same height and build, definitely skilled warriors to have been able to sneak up and dispatch Vargus and his crony without making a sound. Rocket aimed his blaster at the pair and held it ready for the attack.

"That would not be advisable Rocket Raccoon." One of the knights spoke, identifying that he was a male.

There was something familiar about his robotic sounding voice. Then he remembered the woman, not Silas. She had wearing the same type of armor in the holographic message she'd left for him. These two knights must be a part of the Deadlights society. Rocket was closer than he thought to figuring out who they were. They must have also been part of the team that shadowed him around everywhere he went. It was time for him to get some answers, Rocket and Groot style.

Rocket smirked around his blaster. "You are well aware of my capabilities. There is nothing to stop me from pulling this trigger, you know that?"

"True, but to what end Rocket?" The other knight solemnly spoke, revealing that he too was a male, the mystery woman from the holo who had been dodging him wasn't there at least not in the bar.

"To get some Flarking answers! Groot, now!" Rocket yelled aiming his blaster at the ceiling and fired a shot through it.

Rocket waited a second to hear the crunch of the wall collapsing in, the thrashing that his buddy was about to unleash upon these bookends, but there was nothing like that. Rocket sneered and launched himself at the knights, trying to remind himself to only wound them, no killing, and no disintegration. Rocket's body hit the knight standing in the front causing a domino effect. The two knights flailing away from him. It didn't take long for them to be back on their feet and moving to attack position.

"What the flark did you do to Groot?!" Rocket yelled firing his blaster at their legs, they must have had enhance speed modifications on.

"We apprehended him, nothing more. He's safe and sound. Now surrender your foolishness." A dodging knight shifted away and rounded for another assault.

A spear wiped by Rocket causing him to trip over a patron and roll back onto his knees. The two knights were on the move to apprehend the slick raccoonoid, but Rocket was ahead of them. He'd drawn his other blaster and started unloading both much like a desperado in old Western vids. The photon bolts slamming into the floor beneath the knights. There was a low creaking sound coming from the mesh metal flooring. At this point the two knights looked at each other and then disappeared from view the floor collapsing under their weight. The smell of raw sewage filtering up from the floor. Rocket smirk and twirled his blasters on his fingers before holstering them, much like a Wild West outlaw would do to show off.

"Next time you take me on, bring more help bitches." Rocket cackled down the hole.

It had been a righteous victory for sure, but now he had to go help his friend. He turned around to dart out the door and for his effort he received a solid chop to his throat. There was a searing pain in his throat, making it hard to breath, making it hard to swallow. Before his eyes went blurry, he saw the very figure he'd been looking for. Judging by the way she wiggled her wide hips it must be the mystery woman that had deceived him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her movements were fluid and smooth as she grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back and then his other arm joined in. Rocket thought that he might be fighting against her, but at the same time he might not have been. Then the energy cuffs came on, they were set for painless. _Easy to escape,_ he thought to himself, until he felt the magnetic belt around his waist pinning his hands to his back.

"Much harder to escape." He choked out with a smirk.

The familiar feminine robotic voice called out to him in a teasing fashion. "I'm well aware of your skills Rocket Raccoon, I just want to take the utmost care not to lose you again."

"Well, you could try not lying to me, that would be a start, Silas." Rocket choked out, regaining his voice little by little.

"I did apologize for that, but now is not the time for this. We must get underway to the Mothership. For now you may call me Agent 19." Her voice was professional under the auto tuner. "Let's get a move on, we can talk on the ship."

"Yeah, let's..." Rockets eyebrows were bend in fury, almost so sharp they covered his eyes.

"Agents 4 and 5 when you're done playing around down there, regroup to the ship we're leaving." Agent 19 ordered before helping Rocket to his feet and urging him to move.

"Some pretty good soldiers you got there 19. It took me a few moments longer to kick their asses than usual." Rocket joked, looking back at her over his shoulder.

"They were under my orders to take you in alive. I assure you if there had been no order, you'd be dead now." Her voice was as haughty as the red eye pieces of her helmet.

Agent 19 led Rocket through the door and into the street. The first thing that Rocket took notice of was the mangled and broken body of his best friend Groot. Rocket lurched free from her grasp and ran to his buddy's side. His eyes raced around the mass of broken limbs and splinters. Rocket felt a rage growing inside of him as he flexed against his cuffs. Tears started streaming down his cheek, soaking into his fur.

"No, come on, come on. Where is it?" Rocket whispered to himself, looking around for the one special limb.

Agent 19 ran to his side. "Easy Rocket, it's alright."

"You killed Groot, you killed my best friend you mother flarkers." Rocket screamed as he got up from the ground and charged Agent 19.

Deftly she side stepped and grabbed his poncho collar on the way by, pulling him up off his feet. He landed solidly on the dirt road. A crack in his wrist shot pain up into his shoulders. His back was aching from landing in an arched position. In a smooth motion she knelt down on his chest pinning him to the ground. The feeling of her weight to his chest pushed the air out of his lungs slowly.

"You need to calm down Rocket. I would never let anything happen to your friend Groot. After I spoke to him, he surrendered his heartwood to me. It is in a pot of soil in your room aboard my ship. I'm not here to hurt you, you're not my prisoner. But you're in a state of emotional anguish that would be deadly for me and my people. I'm here to ask you for your help, there is something coming and it's so much bigger than you and I. Now suck it up and get to your feet." Agent 19 stepped off of him and helped him to his feet.

"How do I know you're not lying to me about Groot, about everything? If you don't remember you have a history of lying to me." Rocket spit fire, his eyes radiating the internal flame of his emotions.

Agent 19 shook her head. "Think! I didn't search you. I didn't take your guns or knives. I didn't even use force until you attacked my men. I didn't attack you when we were in prison together. I have no intention of harming you. I need your help. Stop being a child!"

Rocket straightened up as he thought about everything she'd said. "About the prison, did you mean what you said?"

"About loving you?" Agent 19 also straightened up, more soldier like in her stance, but relaxed none the less.

"Yeah!" Rocket swallowed hard as they faced each other.

"I do and I have since the first moment I met you." Agent 19 spoke, her words were even and true.

Around her all the other Agents had stopped to watch what was unfolding. Rocket counted eight, with Agent 4 and 5 being ten Agents in all. _There may be more_, he thought. It was true that they could have killed him at any moment. She made no attempt to take his weapons. Plus how did she know about Groot's heartwood, the most important piece of his body. If he ever sustained a fatal wound, his heartwood could be used to regrow him. If his heartwood was destroyed than Groot would be no more. Rocket could set aside his pride in this matter, but he still hated her, for making him feel something for a lie.

"Alright take off the cuffs and I'll go with you." Rocket said with conviction, he was standing his ground against them.

"If that's what it takes." Agent 19 resigned and moved over to him.

Quickly she took the magnetic belt off and tucked it in the satchel on her back. Uneasily she moved to turn his cuffs off. Rocket rubbed his wrists gently, one of them felt broken from the fall earlier. It was his right wrist too which was a shame, it was his dominate hand. Agent 19 noticed him nursing his wrist, as she stepped up to look at it. A smirk moved to Rocket's lips, he quickly grabbed the back of her helmet and brought it down to meet his knee. Agent 19 was launched skyward from the force of the hit, she sprawled onto her back. Her left eye piece shattered leaving her looking up at the naked black sky with one eye, and the other saw red computer read out of same said black sky. Other than that, she was uninjured. The force had thrown Rocket off balance and he felt. His already stressed wrist hit first. There was another crack and searing pain shooting through his arm once again. If it wasn't broken before, it sure was now. He gasped but refused to make any louder of a sound.

It all had happened so fast that the other Agents hadn't had time to react. When everything had played out, they launched themselves at the raccoonoid to protect their leader. Agent 19 was already up on her feet waving for them to halt their attack.

"Cease, I'm not hurt. Not physically anyway. I assure you all I deserved this and more, now pick him up and bring him to the sick bay, double time gods damnit." Agent 19 looked down at Rocket who was curled up on the dirt road holding his wrist.

Rocket looked back at her, the anger still there in his heart. His dark brown eyes met her one naked eye. The piercing eye of emerald was familiar to him. Silas! Just then the anger softened, he was feeling something else now. When he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand and shook her head slowly. They didn't need to say anything. They'd both said sorry and had both forgiven each other in one way shape or form. They were beyond paltry words anyway. More work that words was needed in repairing the damage that had befallen them. Agents 4 and 5 moved to help Rocket to his feet, leading him off towards the shipyard.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Gimme a Hand

The soft hum of the faster than light engine filled the long, oddly colored hall. The walls were all a glossy black metal- not inviting at all. If it hadn't been for the insets in the walls, it would have been impossible to find the doors. There were no signs, directions, or maps to follow either. The floors and ceilings were made of glossy white metal plates, which were smooth and cool on his paw pads. Rocket got a strange feeling deep inside. The ship was altogether creepy. _Maybe it wasn't the ship at all_, he thought. It could have been that everyone of the agents wore black leather armor and helmets. The group known as the Deadlights weren't just a society, they may very well be a cult. Rocket decided that he would just see how this all played out for now, but as soon as the punch bowl came out, he was gone.

Rocket nursed his wrist, holding it tightly to his body. There was no doubt that it was broken. It had been worth it, he deemed, punching the smug bitch in her face. One of the males from before, Agent 4, Rocket assumed, clicked his staff against the floor. A light resonated through the floor in the form of a blue line, then it turned sharply to left. A wall panel opened into a larger room. Rocket was a little unnerved that he couldn't tell where the doors were, or even where he was in conjunction to the hanger. Nothing was marked. There didn't even seem to be any control pads for the doors.

Agents 4 and 5 turned sharply and led Rocket into the large room. There were a total of ten flat table like beds, five each on either wall. Each bed had computer devices above and to the side of them. Along the center of the room was a long counter top cluttered with different electronic devices and examination tools. Underneath the counter top were a long line of cabinets that opened on both sides. To Rocket's left were a row of lockers, black in color and pristine. Next to the lockers was a door, Rocket thought that it might be a bathroom. On the far wall next to the "bathroom" door was another door, again with no inscription. It didn't take long for Rocket to figure out he was in some sort of sick bay.

Agent 5 spoke this time, it was obviously him because his voice was deeper. "Strip down to your underwear and sit on bed one, a physician will be with you shortly."

"Sorry 5. but I don't wear undies. I'm a free swinger. Should I strip down to the sac?" Rocket fluttered his eyelashes, his mouth bent in a goofy smile.

Both agents chuckled in unison, which sounded funny with the robotic undertone from the helmets. It had been the first human thing they had done since he'd come aboard, Rocket joined them in a playful chuckle. It was also the first time he'd noticed that they were only a foot and half taller than he was. They also had large leather clad tails. That's when it dawned on him, that they may be the same race as Agent 19. They abruptly stopped laughing and straightened back up. Another creepy feeling was washing through Rocket.

Agent 4 turned and walked to one of the lockers, his movements mechanical and soldier-like in nature. Whoever they worked for must have been very strict with the agents. That or the punishment was more severe than it had to be. Agent 4 came back with plain white hospital gown and laid it at the foot of bed one, before rejoining Agent 5.

"Be sure to take everything out of your pocket, because you won't be getting your clothes back." Agent 5 took a few steps to the right and grabbed a black plastic tote, dropping it on the bed next to the hospital gown. "Put your things in the tote and we'll take them to your room."

Rocket was skeptical at first, but decided that he was already in too deep to back out now. Being exceedingly careful with his wrist, he slipped out of his poncho, wadding it up and tossing it into the tote. After that he slipped the double barrel atomizer off of his back letting it clatter to the floor. Agent 4 was nice enough to scoop it up and put it into the tote. Agent 5 stepped in and pulled the blaster free from the holster on the right side. He held it out to Rocket, as a show of faith. Rocket smiled, taking the blaster and tossing it into the tote, followed by the other one.

The door on the far side of the room opened. Agent 19 clacked into the room, her boots hitting evenly, heel to toe. Just as everything else in the ship, she was pristine. New helmet and clean leather armor shimmered in the overhead florescence. Agents 4 and 5 straightened up and saluted her.

Rocket didn't regard her presence at all, he leaned down and unclasped the holster straps around his thighs. He unbuckled his belt and caught it before it fell to the floor. It was heavy from the ammo clips in the pouch at the back. Just like everything else he discarded it, into the tote. It was already filling up. He bent down and unfastened the strap on his dagger sheath at his leg. Dagger was too lacking of a word for it, it was more like a short sword in Rocket's small hands. It was an odd device that Drax had given to him. It gave new meaning to concealed weapon. The dagger was made from nano technology, it would collapse into the hilt and when you flicked the switch it would make a solid blade, that was guaranteed to stay sharp forever. Rocket had never used it before, but was looking forward to trying it out. Rocket dropped the sheath and dagger into the tote.

"Agent 19, Rocket Raccoon is arming down and preparing to be visited by the physician. We have everything covered here." Agent 5 stated. Agent 19 gave a heavy nod.

"The physician is on his way. When Rocket is complete, you will take his stuff to his room." Agent 19 spoke, her voice was colder than Rocket remembered.

"Yes ma'am, orders came down from Agent 0. He's informed us, of what we should do." Agent 5 stated.

There was a long pause. "So be it!"

Agent 19 seemed frustrated, which made Rocket smile. Any suffering she was enduring made him happy. It was a childish way to be, but he was a childish raccoonoid at times. For the most part, Rocket was ignoring the military spectacle unfolding before him. Carefully he undid the clip on his wrist communicator and threw it in the tote. Rocket pulled his shirt off slowly, making sure to favor his wrist. Once off he balled it up and tossed it in with the rest of this stuff. There was a hesitation now as he leaned down, trying to manipulate the right pocket on his thigh, his hand hurting too much.

Agent 5 stepped forward, and he halted as soon as he felt a hand gripping his shoulder. When he turned around, he was face to face with Agent 19. Agent 5 nodded and stepped back to stand next to Agent 4, who remained quiet the whole time- Obviously he was a lower rank, or just didn't care enough to get involved. Agent 19 bent down and opened the pocket, pulling out a pipe pouch. A very familiar one, she smiled inside of her helmet, away from Rocket's prying eyes. As she stood back up, she held the item out to Rocket.

"Thank you." Rocket said softly, feeling foolishly uncomfortable as he took the pouch and lightly set it down in the tote.

Agent 19 picked the pouch up handing it back to Rocket. "You keep this. I know you'll feel safer if it's on you." There was a warmth in her voice despite the robotic sound.

"Thank you." Rocket said again, this time it was more sincere than before.

Rocket undid his pants and pushed them down around his ankles before kicking them up into the air, so he could catch them. He rolled them up and tossed them into the impossibly full tote. Rocket cleared his throat and stood before the Agents, naked as a jaybird. The discomfort was palpable, Agents 4 and 5 took it as their cue to leave the room. Agent 5 grabbed the tote and they both filed out into the hallway, leaving Rocket and Agent 19 alone in the room.

"Staying for the show, 19?" Rocket teased, a smirk coming to his lips as he set his pipe pouch on the bed.

Agent 19 cleared her throat and crossed her hands in front of her. "No, I just want to be here to oversee your recovery. Dr. Adams is very good at what he does."

Rocket sighed and unfolded the gown throwing it over him. It was easily three times his size and swallowed him up. He didn't care though, at least he was covered now. Rocket climbed up on the bed and looked down at his feet. Agent 19 shifted her weight to one leg, but said nothing. The silence of the room was eerie.

The door at the far side of the room popped open and a heavyset humanoid of unknown origin stepped into the room. Rocket cocked his head and watched the man fumble clumsily across the room. He couldn't help but crack a smile at the scene playing out. The man looked kind of like comedian Jerry Lewis back on Earth. Skin of a sickly faded yellow color, once black hair had streaks of gray running from his sideburns. Vintage Earth attire lay under a clean white lab coat. The oddest of things the man was wearing was red visor headset that looked like a pair of Steampunk goggles. It covered his eyes and his ears, the lenses of the goggles were made of the same opaque material as the eye pieces in the helmets. Rocket was starting to see a pattern, everyone aboard was either wearing helmets or visors. He couldn't help but wonder why.

"Agent 8, glad you could make it." Agent 19 chastised.

"Dr. Adams, man, you know I don't dig that Agent crap you guys are always talking about." Dr. Adams screeched to a haul in front of Rocket who was perched on the table. "Whoa! What the hell are you?"

Agent 19 didn't wait for Rocket to speak. "HE! Is Rocket, and you will give him your respect, Agent 8." Her voice was frustrated again.

Dr. Adams turned his attention to the much shorter Agent 19. "Wait a minute Agent 19, when you're in my sick bay, I am the superior officer. If you want to chastise me, you have to wait until I'm in the hall or somewhere else." He turned his chubby humanoid face back to Rocket. "Sorry lil dude, no one told me what to expect when I got here."

"No problem, it happens all the time to be honest." Rocket scratched his side casually.

"Yeah, they just told me to bring these kid size shorts with me to sick bay." Dr. Adams tossed the shorts down to Rocket. "Here you go, cover up your nuts and bolts, man. You can call me Dr. Adams as everyone should and does when I'm in the sick bay!"

Rocket cackled absurdly, more because of Dr. Adams putting Agent 19 in her place than the joke he made. "I like this guy. He's funny." Rocket shimmied into the tight elasta-fabric shorts, they were snug but comfortable.

Dr. Adams rose the table up to his waist, so he could see things better. "Alright lil dude, what seems to be the problem?" Dr. Adams pulled a pair of rubber gloves over his oddly inhuman fingers, instead of four fingers and a thumb, he only had three fingers and a thumb.

Agent 19 glared daggers at Dr. Adams. "He had a fractured wrist. Agent 0 wants you to do a Class 1 treatment on just his right arm up to the elbow."

"Oh man, that is tits. It's such a simple procedure. Can't wait to get this done." Dr. Adams walked over to the center counter and dug through the draw.

When he came back, he was carrying a metal surgeons tray with two items on it. One was a small metal, cylindrical item about the size of a cigarette. The other was a clear looking band aid with a round black spot in the middle of it. Dr. Adams set the tray down at the foot of the bed and cleared his throat.

"Alright you furry bastard, lay back. I gotta strap you in." Dr. Adams chuckled playfully.

"Dr. Adams! What did I tell you about respecting him?" Agent 19 grumbled loudly.

"He doesn't mind at all, do you 'lil dude?" Dr. Adams felt around the edge of the bed slowly, an energy restraint crossed over Rocket's upper arms and chest pinning him down.

"If it pisses her off, I'm all about it." Rocket looked up at her with a wide mouth grin.

Agent 19 growled, her voice was low as if she were trying to say it under her breath. "Childish!"

"What was that?" Dr. Adams said through a chuckle, his words barely heard of Rocket's cackling.

"Nothing, can we get this over with in a timely manner." Agent 19 voice was a forced even tone as she was fighting to keep her composure.

"Alright Rocket, you're going to have to trust me with this. I'm going to have to make an incision in your hand before I introduce the nanomites into your system." Dr. Adams explained as he was looking over the back of Rocket's hand.

"Nanomites! That's pretty extreme, don't you think?" Rocket tried sitting up, but felt the energy restraints tighten.

"Nah, man, if you're going to be a part of the Deadlights Society, then you'll eventually have nanomites inserted throughout your body. Think of it as instant super powers." Dr. Adams reached over and picked up the smooth cylindrical object.

Rocket growled. "Flark that, I didn't sign up for this."

Agent 19 reached up and touched his face softly. "Calm down Rocket, if you feel so strongly about it, then we won't implant them throughout your body. Unfortunately we need you active right now. We can't wait until your hand heals. You'll have to accept this procedure."

Rocket glared at her masked face. "Alright, I'll agree to that. But after it's done you have to take off your goddamned helmet."

"Fair enough!" Agent 19 snapped back, appalled by this childish display.

Dr. Adams aimed at Rocket's wrist with the strange cylindrical device before pressing the button on the side. A red laser beam shot out and sliced a half inch cut in Rocket's wrist. Before any blood could pool in the wound, Dr. Adams slapped a clear bandage over the hole and stepped back. Agent 19 also took a step back, both of their eyes locked on him. Rocket felt a lump appear in his throat. What was going to happen to him that made them back up?

There was a crunch and then a crackle, and searing pain running up and down his arm at high velocity. Rocket looked down at his hand and stared as his finger broke, twisted, disintegrated, and then reformed back into the shape of his hand all in a matter of seconds. There was a screaming in his ears as he watched in horror. Just like that the pain was gone, there wasn't even a residual pain. The only thing that remained was the loud screaming in his ears, and then he realized that it was him screaming. He stopped and swallowed hard before looking from Agent 19 to Dr. Adams.

"A little flarking warning would have been nice, you assholes." Rocket screamed at them again, feeling his heart pound in his throat.

"Alright! Seems like it was a success. How do you feel, raccoon dude?" Dr. Adams said nonchalantly, as he stepped up beside the bed retrieving the metal surgeons tray.

"I think you're going to have to wash the bed, other than that... my wrist feels great." Rocket was shivering hard from shock.

"Well, you came through it was flying colors. Usually people pass out and then shit themselves." Dr. Adams joked as he turned off the energy restraining belt, lowering the bed back down.

"I can't guarantee I didn't shit myself." Rocket sat up and hopped down on the ground.

"All free and clear up here, dude. Not only did you pass with flying colors, but you passed without leaving the color brown." Dr. Adams stated as he knelt down on the ground in front of Rocket.

Rocket rolled his wrist around, amazed at how tight and responsive it was. "I hope I get a cookie for being a good boy." He pulled the clear plastic band aid off amazed that the hole was gone.

"You don't need a cookie, you got something better right there. Now 'lil dude, lets see how your new hand is holding up. I want you to punch this metal tray as hard as you can." Dr. Adams braced himself against the ground and held out the medal surgery tray.

"Are you nuts? That'll break my wrist again." Rocket snapped back as he looked down at his hand and flexed it.

"No Rocky, you gotta trust me here buddy. Give it a good whack." Dr. Adams braced himself again.

"You guys are flarking loonies, you know that?" Rocket stepped up closer taking a classic boxer stance.

Agent 19 leaned over the table, watching closely. Rocket focused, took a deep breath, his gaze focusing on the spiral metal pattered that went from the center of the tray out to the raised lip. Dr. Adams gave him a reassuring nod from over the top of the tray. That was it, Rocket launched a stiff right jab with all of his might. The punch hit the dead center of the tray and ripped through it. The sharp metal shredding his hand, throwing blood, fur, and fleshy bits into Dr. Adams face. Yet Rocket didn't feel a thing. No pain, no aftershock. Dr. Adams dropped the tray, and furiously wiped his face off with his lab coat. Rocket pulled his hand back through the hole, feeling a gentle snag here, a tear there. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to see the damage to his hand. What he saw raised the hair on the back of his neck. The blood had already stopped, the bones were being resent and the open gashes on his hand were slowly closing up.

"Well flark me, no wonder why you were able to get up after I hit you." Rocket snapped a look at her.

"Nah man, she doesn't have those things in here. Her body rejected them, straight up burned them and absorbed them. It was flarking awesome." Dr. Adams excitedly rambled out, as if it were a secret that no one was suppose to know.

"That's enough Agent 8." Again her voice was cold. "My nano technology is in my suit, it's special made for me. There is one of this same make back in your room." Her red visor gaze fell upon him.

"How soon can you put the rest of these things in me?" Rocket leaned back against the bed still looking at his hand.

Again Agent 19 was smiling to herself. "I'm glad you opted for the nanomites, they're much better than the suits. You can expect to have the surgery done as soon as we rendezvous with the Mothership. It should be in the next few days."

"Fantastic! Now it's your turn. You have to live up to your part of the deal. Take that helmet off." Rocket reached up and grabbed his pipe pouch with his left hand, not wanting to take any chances he might crush it with his super hand.

There was a long hesitation before she finally spoke. "Later, in a more private setting. For now Dr. Adams, will you kindly show him to his quarters for me. Do give him the run down of our facilities. I have to report our current situation to Agent 0. If you will excuse me."

Rocket and Dr. Adams watched as she crossed the room double time, and disappeared through the door. "What a pain in the ass, did you see how she deliberately broke her promise?"

"First of all, man, no one get to see her face except for the boss man." Dr. Adams started for the door, Rocket in close tow.

"Who is the boss?" Rocket asked hurrying his steps, one and a half steps to every one of Dr. Adams.

"No one knows, we just call him Boss, or Agent 0. The only thing I've ever been able to decipher from is that Agent 0 is Agent 19's father." Dr. Adams walked down the hall.

"So what you're saying is she's like a princess, or a millionaire's daughter. All the reward without the risk. That's why she wouldn't show me her face. Didn't think she had too." Dr Adams stopping so abruptly that Rocket bumped into the back of his leg. "Signal before you do that, damn it!" Rocket rubbed his muzzle.

Dr. Adams ran his fingers slowly along the smooth black wall, a set of doors slid open into a square black metal room. "No one gets to see her face except her dad, I just told you that. The fact that she agreed to show you is an honor man, and she'll keep that promise. But she sure as hell ain't going to do it in front of a flunky like me."

The pair climbed into the tiny room, Dr. Adams again felt around the wall and the small room started going down. "As for her being a Princess, that's not true either. No one works harder than Agent 19. Her dad always has her running around, doing stuff for the Deadlights Society."

Rocket didn't say anything, he just nodded slowly. He was starting to wonder if it had always been part of a plan. Maybe she hadn't had a choice in the matter after all. Her falling in love with him couldn't have been part of a plan. Agent 19, not Silas, had fallen in love with him. He could tell. Perhaps she deserved another chance... besides, pretty much all the cards were on the table. There was only one card left to flip over. Who was she? Agent 19 promised to reveal her identity to him. If she did that, then he would would forgive her, maybe even give her a second chance.

"You feeling alright man? I was talking to you and you were all glazed over." Dr. Adams interrupted his thought process.

"Oh yeah, just a touch of vertigo from the elevator ride is all. You were saying?" Rocket looked up at him, the elevator slowed to a stop.

The doors slid open and Dr. Adams walked out into the hall, Rocket fighting to keep up. "I was just saying, when we get to your room, there will be a total of three outfits for you. One will be your lounge clothing, for everyday use. The second your standard issue uniform. The third will be your armor. If you're going to be on the upper levels you have to have your uniform or your armor on. Make sure you get dressed first, before you put your headset on." Dr. Adams rounded a corner too tight, his shoulder hitting the wall solidly, but he recovered instantly and kept walking.

"What about weapons, can I use those?" Rocket asked, trying to stifle a chuckle at watching the doctor almost biff it.

"You may outfit yourself with any weapons you see fit, they're not anal about that. You must have your headset or helmet on at all times, even when you're lounging. It's one of the cardinal rules. You're allowed thirty minutes a day to take it off. In that time, you're expected to shower and shave. Not that you have to worry about the shaving part." Dr. Adams chuckled, his crooked teeth showing through his smile.

"Or the shower part, am I right?" Rocket jabbed back, his chuckle was more of a cackle.

Dr. Adams started to laugh and then stopped abruptly. "Eww man, no you have to shower. We're in a confined place. I'm pretty sure there's a rule in place for that."

Rocket stopped walking for a moment and stared at him. "It was a joke, man, come on. I'm a sentient being, not an animal."

Dr. Adams didn't respond, he continued moving down the hall. "Sorry, I just got notified that someone is waiting for me in the sick bay. I want to help you get to your room though before I head back."

"That cool, if you want we can run the rest of the way. It looks like you could use the exercise." Rocket smirked up at him.

"Very funny, dick. But no, I don't want to run. I'm just trying to make sure I didn't forget to tell you anything. Oh yes, there is one more bit of information. When you put your headset on, there's a tutorial mode that will help set it up. The set up process is rough though, don't try to absorb too much. Once it's configured to you, it will be easier on you. And no one else can use it. I know it sounds complicated, but it is easy once you start doing it." Dr. Adams stopped abruptly again, panting heavily from rushing all the way down the hall.

Rocket watched his hands closely and realized that the doctor was pushing invisible buttons. Things were starting to come together. The visors, helmets, and headsets allowed the Agents to activate parts of the ships. It was an ingenious way to keep pirates from accessing the systems, or in case of a mutiny. Whoever this Agent 0 was, he knew his stuff, and seemed be loaded. Maybe after all the danger is put to bed, Rocket could request a large reward. With that thought, the door in front of him slid open onto a beautifully decorated room.

"Welcome to your new home, man. The boss wanted you to have the best, and there it is." Dr. Adams said in a cheery voice. Rocket walked passed him into the room.

If this was a sign of the perks that came with the job, then he thought he could definitely get used to it, hazards and all. Dr. Adams bid Rocket a farewell, before turning on his heels and heading back the way they had come. The door closed behind Rocket, leaving him to contemplate his new surrounding. His new home.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Home Sweet Home

Rocket had expected the room to be the same color scheme as the halls had been, but he was pleasantly surprised. The room was the size of an average hotel room, with walls made of soft faux oak panels that went from floor to ceiling. The floor was covered with a tight Berber fabric rug of a light gray color. The ceiling was made of the same smooth, white metal material as the rest of the ship. Set into the ceiling were two rows of lights that ran the length of the room, the lights were each the size of a softball.

To Rocket's right was an open wood panel door that lead to a private bathroom. On one side of the door were two comfortable looking easy chairs, upholstered in brown leather, with a wooden end table between them. On the other side of the door were two sleek black looking lockers, much like the ones he'd seen in the sick bay. Behind him, against the wall to his right, was a round metal table and four metal chairs. It looked utilitarian, but he'd seen worse in his travels. To the left side of the room, were two flat twin beds. Beds wouldn't be an appropriate word, in actuality they were nothing more then two metal slabs sticking out of the wall, with thin pads laid over them. They were made up nicely though, with clean sheets and a thin brown blankets. On the closest bed was the black tote from before, all of his stuff save for his clothing had made it to the room. They had lived up to their word. It was an unusual surprise. At the foot of each bed was a sleek black footlocker, with no markings on them, but he was sure they were programed for specific users. Beside each bed was a faux wooden end table. Not much to look at, but at least they'd tried to make it homy.

At that moment Rocket realized that there was a sleek black planting pot on one of the end tables. Groot was nestled in the pot, sleeping and gaining strength. Rocket had expected him to be much smaller, but he was at least four times the size he would have normally been. They might have given him a super charged fertilizer to help get him back to his normal state. _That was nice of them to take care of my best bud_, he thought as he walked up to the tote on the bed, and dropped his pipe pouch on top of the pile.

"Hey Groot, how have they been treating you?" Rocket asked, his voice sounding too loud in the room.

Groot shifted around and stretched, he had already grown taller than Rocket. "I am Groot." His voice hadn't dropped in tone yet, it sounded much the same as a prepubescent child with a rumbling undertone.

"Whoa! That's awesome. They did something similar to me. They put nanomites in my hand. This thing is like a mother flarking wrecking ball now." Rocket joked as he picked up his tote and walked over to one of the lockers.

"I am Groot..." His tone sounded disappointed.

"You can't? Well that sucks, but you don't need nanomites anyway, bro. You're already strong as hell." Rocket felt around the sleek black outside of the the locker.

There was a gentle chime, and a voice coming from inside the locker, the door slid away to show its contents. "Welcome Raccoonoid, Rocket. You're assigned Agent number is Agent 1. Please put on your DLS Headset. (Note user; from this point on DLS will be referring to the Deadlights Society. Thank you for your cooperation.)"

Rocket reached into the locker and picked up the headset. Remarkably, it seemed to be hand crafted just for him. As he slid it on, he could feel it conform to fit snugly, yet comfortably, to his head. The visor, that he'd thought was glass, was actually not transparent at all, but was made up of small computer monitors that projected everything in a red tint. Something in the corner of the monitor flashed white against the red readout.

Rocket read it out loud. "Activate Headset; Delta, Echo, Alpha, Delta..."

There was a soft hum coming from the headset. Twin plugs set snugly in his ears, blocking out all sounds. All at once everything activated. He could hear better than he had ever heard before. The visual display showed things that he hadn't seen- There was a huge network of things showing up on the walls, hidden control panels that allowed him access to anything and everything. Along the top of the visual read out were different menus which gave him access to the ship. Maps, data, logs, specs, and other things. He was now inside their main network. Granted, most of it was probably off limits to him, but it was a nice gesture. When he looked down at his tote on the floor, it gave him a spec read out of every item, before logging it into his personal database.

Rocket smirked and looked around the room. There were control panels all over the walls, each of them did something different. He paced around, with of vertigo slowly washing over him. He stumbled, and planted his hands against the wall on either side of one of the invisible control panels, except now it was visible to him. A white flashing light again in the corner of his eyes said downloading. Just like that, he knew how to use every control panel in his room. It was an amazing, yet scary feeling. No one was meant to have this much control, this much information, all at once.

Rocket knelt down on the floor breathing softly, trying to regain himself. Beads of sweat welled up on his forehead, under his fur. A giddy sensation in his lower regions made him feel like he might throw up. At the same time he was fatigued, his heart was pounding in his chest. A jolt shot through him, one of fear, one of panic. He turned and fell back against the wall, and found that he was looking up at Agent 19. He hadn't heard her come in. Instead, he was being overtaken by this technological tidal wave. The visor was trying to download information on Agent 19, instead it was getting a white hot denied flashing in his eyes. After the third time of retrying, it canceled the request.

"Easy Rocket, just take deep breaths." Her voice was soothing.

Rocket cocked his head, and looked up at her. She still wore her helmet. So why did her voice come through so clearly? "I...can hear you. Your voice isn't robotic anymore." He panted.

"I've opened a piece of my mind to you. I'm speaking inside of your head." Agent 19 knelt down in front of him, helping him to his feet.

"Why can't I talk to you with my mind?" Rocket asked as a sharp pain tore through his head.

"Stop! Don't try anything else for a moment. Let your brain catch up on processing the information. It has to get use to the device. Clear your mind and relax." She helped him over to his bed and helped him lay back on it.

"Why, what's happening to me? Why do I hurt so bad?" Rocket was on the brink of panic.

"Rocket! If you don't calm down, I will have to sedate you." Agent 19 threatened. She was lightly caressing his bare stomach.

"You're suffering information overload. The visor has heightened your vision and your hearing. You brain is trying to overcome it, but at the same time it's still gathering all of this information, making room for it in your brain." The feeling of her fingers making little ringlets in his belly fur was soothing. There was so much compassion in her voice as she spoke into his mind.

"Every time you take on new information for the next few days, you'll start feeling this way. Only take in a little bit at a time, it's also advised that you wear one of the outfits provided to you, while you're doing it. The nanomite in the fabric will help you process easier. Agent 8 was suppose to tell you this."

"He did, but I completely forgot. Gods, I dunno if I'm cut out for this. This maybe too much power." Rocket whimpered tiredly.

"It will get easier I promise. Everyone has a hard time adjusting at first. This is merely stage one of a larger process. When you get the nanomite modification on our Mothership, it will be a piece of cake." Agent 19 lightly pat his stomach, enjoying the fact that he was letting her touch him.

Groot had used his growing strength to move his planting pot from the table to Rocket's bed, resting next to his head. Groot reached up and pulled a leaf from his shoulder. With some deft skill, he pulled back Rocket's cheek, and tucked the leaf between his cheek and teeth. Rocket gagged at first and looked over at Groot angrily. Groot's read out downloaded with a resounding "Unknown, no information moved to database."

"I am Groot!" He snapped back, his voice growing deeper and cracking in places like a teenager's voice would.

"I didn't know what it was pal, I'm having a nervous breakdown, and your sticking stuff in my mouth." Rocket spat back as he gritted his teeth against the leaf.

"What did he give you?" Agent 19 inquired, this time using her voice instead of her mind.

"It's a honey lemon leaf. He knows they make me feel better when I'm stressed. Usually he just gives me one, not forces it into my maw." Rocket chuckled weakly as Groot rested his head against Rocket's head.

"Aw, I love you too buddy, 'ol pal." Rocket reached up and rubbed the trees every growing back.

"I am Groot." Groot said happily.

"I'll get you some clothes." Agent 19 said, giving him another pat on his stomach.

Agent 19 smiled to herself and walked over to his locker. She gathered his lounge clothes: A black tank top, which shimmered with the small nanomites sewn into the light fabric. A pair of loose fitting martial arts trousers, also black. A pair of socks, and a pair of comfortable running shoes. Agent 19 looked down at them, she could see the hundreds of thousand nanomites moving through the fabric, each one at full capacity, ready to bond with it's new owner.

"I'm going to help you get dressed, Rocket. The fabric is going to bond with your body. You'll feel strange for a moment, but it will pass quickly." Agent 19 warned, as she slipped the socks onto his feet.

Rocket winced as his feet started to feel like they were burning, and then cooling at an alarming rate. After the count of ten, the sensation stopped, and he felt completely comfortable again.

"That was crazy intense. Alright, lets get the rest of the clothes on so I can get the uncomfortable part over with." Rocket looked at Agent 19, amazed at the cool sensation of seeing the fabric of his clothes actually moving beneath the gaze of his visors.

"Kind of like tearing off a band-aid, so to speak." Agent 19 stated, as she pushed his pant legs on.

"Exactly." Rocket sat up kicking his leg over the side of the bed.

Rocket grabbed his pants and hopped off the bed, down into them. With a well rehearsed motion he pulled his tail through the hole in the back of his pants. Agent 19 was putting the shirt on over his head. Rocket picked up on her cues and shoved his arms through the large sleeve holes, fighting to get dressed before the sensation set it.

Agent 19 put his shoes on the floor so he could step down into them, but it was too late. The heat wave moved through him as he reached out to grab the bed. The nausea washed over him again, and he fought against it. It became much easier to deal with once cooling touch washed over him. He chewed the leaf furiously trying to keep calm and not throw up. Then it all passed as it had before. The leaf had done an incredible job calming him down once again. The last item left to put on were the shoes. He stepped down into them, and felt them close tightly around his feet. The nanomites already working in unison with the nanomites in his socks. This time the uncomfortable feeling didn't come at all.

It was such a nice sensation that Rocket actually sighed in relief. "That wasn't too bad at all."

"Well you still have to take it easy. Baby steps, after all. For now, allow me to show you how to order food, and once you get something to eat, we'll get you into your armor so we can go have some fun in the training hall." Agent 19 walked over and sat down in one of the metal chairs at the table. "You're going to be amazed at how the nanomite fabric enhances your normal abilities."

"Yeah, I was going to ask about that. Will it be the same as my hand?" Rocket stretched and flexed against the fabric.

"Yes, but not as severe. Have nanomites introduced into the body is always more effective. But you will feel more powerful." Agent 19 explained, as she crossed her legs under the chair.

Rocket was a little more excited than he had been before. "Alright, walk me through the food ordering thing, so we can go play."

"It's fairly simple. Just say 'Today's Menu', read down the list of food. Once you found what you like say 'Order', whatever food you chose. Then 'Delivery' and your name or Agent number. Your number will be one. Then someone in the kitchen will prepare your food, and bring it to your room." Agent 19 reached up and tapped her helmet twice. "I just cleared the data that my voice command brought up. That works for the visors as well. Just double tap to clear. Another thing, it's not always advisable to get food delivered to your room everyday, it's unnecessary work for the kitchen staff. Plus, interacting with the other Agents will make your visor stronger."

"Sounds good. Groot, buddy, do you want anything?" Rocket turned and looked at his friend.

Rocket watched as his friend, who was climbing down off the bed. Groot used his arms to move the way a gorilla would. With the way his body was growing from the pot, it looked awkward, like he were a cartoon character that was trying to climb through a hole too small for his body to fit through, and he go stuck at the hips. Groot made his way over to Rocket and stood next to him before flexing. The pot shattered all around, spilling the soil all over the carpet. The he rose up to his full height of thirteen feet. His head almost touching the ceiling, he lowered himself down to sit crossed-legged on the floor.

"I am Groot!" Groot smiled and shook his head slowly.

Rocket smirk and nodded. "Alright man, glad that soil was filling. Hey, please clean up your mess."

Groot nodded and climbed to his knees. His hand flattening into the form of a dustpan. His other hand slowly growing long thing vines, that took the shape of an old fashioned broom. With great care, he swept the glass and soil up onto his his makeshift dustpan. Some of the soil was stuck in the tiny grooves in the carpet.

"Don't worry, I'll send a clean up crew later." Agent 19's words were soft and welcoming.

Groot stood up and smiled. "I am Grooooot..."

"You're very welcome." Agent 19 assumed that's what he said, before getting up from the table to fidget with one of the panels.

A section of the wall slid open revealing a trash chute. Groot padded over to the chute and dumped the refuse he was able to pick up into the bin, watching it slide down into oblivion. Groot wiped his hands off as if he was saying, job well done. Then he moved back next to Rocket and sat back down.

"Today's menu." Inside of his visor a list of ten items cycled over and over in white text amidst the red ocean. "Order; Medium-Rare Sirloin and Baked Potato, with all the fixings. Delivery; Rocket Raccoon." There was a soft ping in his ear and a "Received" text flashing in front of his eyes.

"Man this is intense." Rocket whispered in amazement.

Agent 19 giggled into his mind again, her voice was lovely and familiar to him. "Yes it is, I'm kind of jealous that I can't have the nanomite modification, but that's alright. I will enjoy watching you have them. You deserve to be powerful."

At that moment Rocket remembered how much he missed Silas, how much he cared for her. Now there was no such person as Silas, not really, anyway. It hurt somewhere deep inside. Despite the want to forgive her, the pain she caused was difficult to overcome. Agent 19 was like a stranger to him. They would have to start over from the beginning. In his ear he could hear her robotic sigh. She must have been reading his thoughts. Another intrusion he was going to have to work to avoid. Rocket shook his head slowly, deciding to change the subject.

"Doesn't Groot need to be outfitted with all this crap too?" Rocket pulled the seat out across from Agent 19 and sat down.

"Unfortunately not. Since he's a sentient tree with no bio-organics, there is no biomass that the nanomites can adhere too. Same with the visors. The truth is, we don't know much about his race at all. The first time we learned about him was when he killed our original Agent 1." Agent 19 said in a composed manner, her robot voice showing no emotion.

"I am Groot." Groot said solemnly, his head bent down as he was playing with the twigs hanging from his legs.

"No, no you have nothing to be sorry about. If he hadn't been stalking us like prey it never would have happened." Rocket seemed defensive despite the nonchalant attitude of Agent 19.

"You're right, we told him not to pursue you once you were aware of his presences. He chose to disobey a direct order. You perceived him as a threat, and dealt with him accordingly. You're not at fault." Agent 19's tone was coldly indifferent.

"So just like that?" Rocked cocked his head and looked at her.

"Just like that. That's one of the main reason you weren't charged for his demise. We swooped in and cleaned it up. No one here bares you ill will." Agent 19 stated, as she crossed her legs again.

"Well, that good, I don't want to make enemies so soon after moving in." Rocket chuckled and folded his hands in front of him on the cold table.

Agent 19 tucked her hands under the table fidgeting against her own discomfort."I am sorry about what happened at the prison."

"And?" Rocket asked his voice growing softer.

Agent 19 thought about every word she said before she spoke them. "And for hurting you, for reading your mind, for everything. I hope that one day you can forgive me. I am willing to start from the beginning with you."

"All I want is the truth. No more lies." Rocket demanded, tapping his finger against the table.

"I will be as honest as I can." Agent 19 spoke with baited breath.

"Let's start with you taking off your helmet so I can see what you really look like." Rocket said plainly, his eyes locked on her.

The word "denied' flashing out of the corner of his eyes, signifying that the visor still couldn't download her information. Agent 19 nodded slowly and reached up to take off her helmet. She jumped when there was a chime at the door. Rocket's eyes snatched towards the door.

It slid open, and a large Agent stepped into the room. It was easy to tell this Agent was a male by sheer girth alone. He was smaller than Drax in the shoulders, but taller in stature. In his hand was a sleek metal tray with a sterling cloche atop of it. The Agent set the tray down on the table in front of Rocket.

"Your food, Agent 1. It's a pleasure to welcome you to our family." His tone was deep and more robotic than Agent 19's had been.

Rocket looked at the large structured man, the name "Agent 12" appeared in his view screen. All of his information had been downloaded and stored into his personal database. A knot rolled through his stomach, but he fought to recover against it. Agent 19 hadn't been kidding about every time he learned a new thing, that it was going to make him sick. Luckily he was hungry enough to eat a whole pig, so the nausea wasn't about to ruin his appetite.

Thanks Mac, it's good to be here, was what Rocket had thought to say, but what come out of his mouth was. "Thank you Agent 12, it's good to be a part of the family." His voice was more polite than it ever had been in his life, another twinge in his stomach alerted him to something being wrong.

Agent 12 saluted Agent 19 before heading back out the door. Agent 19 reached across the table lifting the cloche from the tray, sweet smelling steam wafted out from underneath it. The hearty smell of steak and the earthy smell of potato filled the room. Rocket started to salivate despite being lost in contemplation.

"Don't panic Rocket." Agent 19's voice was in his head again. "Your visor detected that Agent 12 wouldn't have understood what you were going to say so it modified it. Sending it back to your brain, directing you to say it."

"I don't know if I like that this thing can force me to say different stuff than I'm thinking." Rocket thought, not wanting to have his words twisted.

"It only did it because it detected that Agent 12 wouldn't understand. I can disable it, if you like?" Her voice was soothing to him, whether he wanted it to be or not.

"Nah, it'll probably never get done. Just like you taking off your helmet." Rocket said spitefully, his childish anger welling to the surface once again.

Another sigh echoed into his mind, this one was of frustration. "Fair enough! Computer Override Headset; Delta, Echo, Alpha, Delta. Disable language correction. Agent 19; verify."

A long line of text washed over Rocket's visor and then the word "complete" flashed. Control of his own headset had been returned to him. Rocket looked at Agent 19 to thank her, but her body language told him that she wasn't in the mood.

Finally Agent 19 spoke. "I'm not dodging you, you know? It's just difficult for me to do what you ask. The only person who gets to see my face is Agent 0."

Rocket cut a chunk of his steak off and stabbed it into his mouth gnawing on it. "Your dad, you mean?"

"Yes, I see that Agent 8 has taken the liberty of revealing that to you." He could hear her frustration echoing in his head. "Be that as it may, just like you, I get thirty precious minutes of having my visor off a day. I would like to be in the comfort of my chamber when I reveal myself to you. Once I do, I would like to shower and get into comfortable attire. Spend the rest of that time looking out the window, or reading a book without all read outs popping up in front of my eyes."

"I only need to see for a minute." Rocket said aloud, a piece of steak falling from his bottom lip onto the table.

"I assure you Rocket, when you see my face you're going to need more than a minute to process it. Just trust me a little bit longer, please. I know I'm asking a lot from you." She spoke aloud this time, her robotic voice sounding choked as if they're may be tears involved.

Groot cocked his head to the side. "I am Groot?"

"I'll explain it to you later buddy, I barely know what's going on either." Rocket shoveled a large mound of potatoes into his mouth.

"Are you like a freak under that mask?" Rocket said through a cheek full of food. "I mean, all disgusting and such."

"No...well yes...maybe a little. I don't think I'm ugly though." Agent 19 stumbled over her words, keeping him from forcing her to lose her composure.

Rocket smirked. "Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I'll have to judge you by your personality then. Oh wait, I don't know who you are." It was obvious that he was teasing her now.

Agent 19 sighed heavily out loud and hung her head. "I'm done talking for now. When you've finished eating, you will put your armor on and we will make our way to the training facilities. I want test your skills in combat personally."

"I am Groot!" Groot stated with a disagreeing tone.

"It will be a fair match, and you will not get involved." Agent 19 lashed out at Groot, her robotic voice spitting her anger.

"How did you know what he said?" Rocket choked on a small piece of steak.

"I just assumed. Now hurry up!" She turned her wrath upon him, Rocket had to admit her voice was far more cuter when she was angry even with the robotic undertone.

"I am Groot..." Groot agreed to the terms set up by Agent 19.

"That's a good idea, buddy 'ol pal, she's not messing around." Rocket chewed his last, bit of steak.

Although the edge in her voice was worrisome. It didn't sound so much like sparring match, as it just sounded like she was going to take him to task. Rocket could only assume that if she did, in fact, lead this group of Agents, then she must be good at combat of all kinds. Rocket now regretted pushing her over the edge. Even if he had been joking, she was only trying to be accommodating. He had no right to be so rude.

"You never did know how to shut your mouth, Rocket?" Rocket could hear her angry tone in his head, there were tears in her voice.

Bad things were on the horizon for him. Rocket decided to slow up on his eating, while he thought of way to help her calm down before they made their way to the training facilities.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Are These Friends of Yours?

The room had stayed uncomfortably silent for a long time. Even Groot could feel some semblance of impending doom for his little friend. It seemed to be radiating off of Rocket. Agent 19 was pacing around the room. It was difficult to tell if she were trying to calm down, or keep the fire fueled. Rocket finished eating, trying his hardest to do it slowly, but there was only so much food on the plate. Despite the fact Agent 19 hadn't said anything. Rocket could still feel the growing urge to change into his armor in a timely manner.

Give Rocket a projectile weapon of any kind and he could wreak havoc on anyone. But the truth be told, Rocket was only mediocre at hand to hand combat. If he was able to work in an element of surprise he could probably win, but in a sparing match, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. That was one of the main reasons he and Groot always traveled together. Groot was the muscle and he was the tactician. That and the fact they were friends.

Rocket got up from the table and retrieved his leather armor and tall leather boots from the locker. "Will this have to do the same effect thingy that my fatigues did?" Rocket asked politely, still trying to smooth things over between he and Agent 19.

"Let's have it be a surprise, shall we?" Agent 19 snapped back, turning her attention to the wall. _Yep, she was still pissed_. Rocket thought, before slipping out of his fatigue bottoms. Upon closer inspection, the armor was nothing more than a black leather outfit. Much the same as a motorcycle jacket, with a breathable fabric interior. The other striking differences were the thousands of nanomites that moved through it like a swarm.

Rocket slipped into the pants, pulling his tail through the hole in the back. It was a shame that they hadn't included a tail cover with this armor. What happened if someone cut it off? No sooner had he thought of it then the pants tightened to be more form fitting. When he looked back, his tail was encased in leather protection. The nanomites in the suit had manifested a leather covering for his tail by taking leather from the other parts of the pants. Rocket shivered. Nanomites were creepy things. As one may have guessed, the burning followed the adjustment of the pants. It wasn't until the cooling phase that Rocket continued to get dress. He stepped down into the boots, pulling them up around his pant legs to knees. There was a light vibrations coming from the nanomites inside his boots as they bonded with the nanomites in the pants and socks. Rocket couldn't help but smile at how powerful his legs felt now.

The leather jacket was heavy in his hands. He pulled it on over his tank top and zipped it up. The jacket tightened around him, compressing him, making his body feel stronger than it had been. The nanomites started working, building gloves to cover his hands. His pants becoming one with his jacket. After a strong surge of heat, it felt as if the leather armor was one piece suit now. Rocket felt better than he'd ever felt before. Stronger, faster, his sense of smell was even better. It felt as if he'd just jumped into a pool of freezing water.

Everything was tight and responsive. Everything he thought of, the suit provided. He wanted hip holsters for his blasters. Then they appeared. It seemed like the holsters were even made for that brand of blaster he was holding. When he wanted a back pouch to hold all of his ammo, then it appeared. A pocket on his thigh, for his pipe pouch, there it was. Rocket slipped his double barrel atomizer across his back. Even with the armor and all of his items back on, he was still light as a feather. Rocket shot a thumbs up to Groot, who offered a deep laugh and returned the thumbs up.

The only thing he lacked now was his helmet. When he searched through his locker, he turned to check the foot locker at the bottom of his bed. There was nothing in their either, except two towels and a hygiene kit, but no helmet. Perhaps he hadn't been given one just yet. Agent 19 hadn't been the most responsive since he'd gotten her mad at him. Maybe he should at least inquire about the helmet. The thought of being punch in his bare face, was not something he welcomed.

"Sorry, to bother you. I can't seem to find my helmet anywhere. Do you know where it might be?" Rocket asked warmly and politely.

"There is a switch behind your right ear piece, if you push it. Nanomites will build you a physical helmet. You can slip it on and off just like a normal helmet, but your visor will go with it. If you want to take the helmet off and keep your visor, just hit the same switch again." The fiery tone was still in her robotic voice.

"Thanks." Rocket said quietly.

When he reached back to find the switch, he didn't realize it was going to be so small. He'd missed it the first few times he hunted for it. The third time was the charm though, the switch flipped easily and in seconds his head was enclosed in a snugly fitting helmet. A respirator conformed over his muzzle, feeding him filtered air. _This must be what Tony Stark feels like when he's suited up_, Rocket thought, a smile moving to his lips.

"It should, he was the originator of this design and many more. My boss took them and adjusted them to make use of the nano technology." Agent 19 informed coldly. "Are you ready? If so, lets get a move on."

Rocket didn't have time to respond as she was already on her way to the door. Rocket followed up closely with Groot behind him. Something in the distance sounded like a pop, or an explosion. The whole ship shook, hard enough for Rocket to fall back against his friend's sturdy leg. Rocket's visor came to life, emergency warnings danced in the corner of his eyes. Something about a direct hit, leaking plasma fluid in the lower deck, two wounded. Then a reading played across the visor. Shields have been engaged. _Were they under attack?_ Rocket asked the rhetorical question.

"What is going on up there?" Agent 19 barked aloud, turning on her heels to cross the room.

"Port Window 32; retract blinds." As the words left her lips, the whole wall across from the door into the room folded back giving a clear view into space.

There was a ship not too far off the port side of the floating space station. Agent 19 recognized it immediately. It was a particular vicious group of space pirates. Apparently word of Vargus's demise circulated quickly and revenge was the name of the game. White photon beams hit the shield hard somewhere above the window. The shield became visible for a second, hundreds of thousands octagons of a shimmering blue color. It was a spectacular thing to witness, but was gone as quickly as it had come. The ship rumbled and the shield seemed to be sucking up most of the damage.

"Damnit!" Agent 19 snapped, as she headed towards the door again, stepping around Groot quickly.

"Who are these guys? Friends of yours?" Rocket teased as he followed closely behind her.

"Not likely, however I think they were friends with Vargus, you know, your date from the bar?" Agent 19 huffed out as she picked up her pace.

"Oh har flarking har, you mean the guy your goons stabbed? That's too bad. Apparently somebody liked him." Rocket was starting to feel the surge of battle washing through him.

"So it appears. We have to get to the hanger, so we can scramble the DLS battle cruisers. I have twelve Agents in route to meet us there." Agent 19 tore around the corner seeing the sign for the elevator in visor read outs.

"Why can't we just unload a few round from this big ass ship into them?" Rocket stayed right on her heels.

Secretly he was happy that they had been attacked or else right now he would be getting his ass stomped in the sparring ring. The three made there way through the hallway. Rocket focused on Agent 19, not wanting to be slowed down by information download. It was already a chore to keep up with her with how fast she was moving. Rocket watched as she manipulated the elevator controls. The door slid open and they filed in one after another. Groot had to duck because he was far too tall to fit, it made the compartment feel even smaller. Agent 19 pushed another button and the elevator came to life, launching downward towards the hanger.

"It's simple, Rocket. This ship isn't equipped with weapons. It's the only passenger carrier we have in the fleet. I regret that I took in now, I didn't foresee us having an all out space battle." Agent 19 was passed distraught now, whatever was flashing through her visor was worse than what Rocket was seeing, he could hear it in her voice.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Rocket asked looking up at Agent 19.

"You two are coming with me. We're going to take a cruise, strike these bastards as hard as we can, and take them out." The door opened into the hanger, Agent 19 pushed her way through.

"So I'll be the one flying, right?" Rocket asked as he watched her climb into a sleek looking cruiser.

Rocket found himself whistling at the impressive cruiser set before him. It was a slick black machine. It's look was very similar to that of Earth Air Force's F-19 Stealth Fighter, a powerhouse of a battle cruiser. Loaded with a quad injected field drive, capable of faster than light travel in an instant. It must have been a Nova design core that the DLS 'borrowed'. It was loaded with two frontal quantic ionizer canons. Definitely not made for rapid fire, but power behind the guns could rip through a shield and shut down important systems aboard any ship. Under each wing was a photon missile distributor, considered it to be the uppercut of a close quarters dogfight.

If there were ever a ship in all the galaxy that could turn Rocket on, this was the one. Just standing close to it was enough to make him swoon. After he had time to study it so closely his visor sucked up all the information about the cruiser, including how to fly it and operate the fire power, hell right down to navigation and communication. This was going to be fun.

"Don't get any ideas Rocket, this is my baby and I will be the one to fly it." He could hear her voice echoing in his head.

Agent 19 strode up the ramp at the back of the cruiser. Rocket was still right behind her, Groot bringing up the rear. When they reached the cock pit, Rocket noticed that there were three seats. It appeared that all of the battle cruisers were controlled by three separate pilots. The seat on the front left was for the main pilot. The seat on the front right was for co-pilot and gunner. The third seat which sat behind and in the middle of the first two was reserved for the backup pilot and communications officer. _In case of severe flarking_, Rocket thought to himself. Agent 19 slipped into the pilot seat and started strapping herself in. Rocket begrudgingly flopped down in the co-pilot seat, while Groot did what he could to wedge into the third seat.

"Come on 19, you should let me fly. I'm good at it. You know, I'm being too humble. I'm not just good at it, I'm flarking great at it. I mean, just ask Groot." Rocket argued, hesitating to buckle himself in.

"I am Groot!" Exclaimed Groot in a matter of fact way.

"See, the best there is. Thank you buddy, it does my heart good when you compliment me like that." Rocket chuckled and looked over at Agent 19.

Agent 19 powered up the vehicle. "No one flies this ship but me." She said.

"Fine, let me out I'll fly my own cruiser." Rocket said getting up from his seat.

"Sit down and shut up!" Agent 19 yelled, it had been the first time she'd ever openly lost her cool. "These cruiser are only programed to fly with three pilots present. It keeps them from being stolen. I need you to be my gunner... Please cooperate." Rocket couldn't tell if she was being sincere or not, with her helmet on.

"Fine, I'll help you. But if after all of this shit goes down and you don't take your helmet off for me, I'll rip the flarking thing off myself. Do you understand me?" Rocket gleamed at her with his eerie red visor eye slits.

"Yes, I do. Buckle up, both of you." She said trying to get her voice to be even again, despite being flustered.

"I am Groot..." Came from the back seat.

"Yeah I have a bad feeling about this too buddy." Rocket clipped himself into his seat looking around.

The inside of the cruiser was much the same as the inside of the freighter, everything smooth and black. With Rocket's helmet, he could make out all the digital consoles and read outs along the dashboard of the cruiser. There were a total of ten monitors that handle various different functions. Life support statistics, core drive read out, hull structure percentage, helm navigation controls, energy read outs, forward blaster condition and capacity, missile bay conditions and capacity, shield integrity, communications, and a warp drive calibrator. All the stuff Rocket knew a great deal about, that is, thanks to the helmet.

"Alright battle cruisers, we are going to fly in a cross formation. I will be in the front leading the charge. Cruiser four, you'll follow behind me. You're going to be my heavy hitter. Cruisers two and three you will follow on either side of me and slightly behind. I will need you to be my steady attackers. Our mission is to take their shields down, once they're down Cruiser four will deliver the death blow. Sound off if you understand. Ask questions if you don't." Agent 19 listened in on her comm link and nodded when everyone understood.

"Alright, on my mark." Agent 19 started shifted the accelerator, the cruiser lifting off from the floor gliding gently to the center of the hanger.

Once center with the open hatch that let out into space, she rocketed forward. The cruiser responded beautifully to her touch. Through the hanger door they flew engulfed in the blackness of space. A second later cruisers two and three joined them, with cruiser four bringing up the rear. All four ships glinted with a blue shimmer, signifying that their shields were now active. Rocket armed the weapons and scoffed shaking his head. It was loud enough for Agent 19 to take note.

"Problem, Rocket?" She said, it was clear she was still fighting to keep her voice calm.

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you? Have you ever been in a space battle?" Rocket looked over at her, even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was making a smug one.

"Yes, hundreds of them." Her tone was confidence and cocky.

"How many of those were real and how many were simulation? Be honest now." Rocket asked as he checked his systems over.

"They were all... simulation." Agent 19 hesitated and then decided to answer honestly.

"Holy shit, we're going to die!" Rocket gasped, it was more exaggerated than it had to be.

The battle cruiser passed around the back of the DLS personnel freighter. The pirate warship was now in site. It was at least ten times larger than the cruiser that they were flying now. Rocket was starting to get concerned now that he'd seen what they were up against. It wouldn't take more than a few hits to completely demolish one of the battle cruisers. Rocket's hands were uneasily on the gunnery controls.

"Have you ever fought a space pirate before?" Rocket asked, already knowing that the answer was no.

"Yes, several of the simulations that I aced were against space pirates." Agent 19 was starting to worry now, thanks to all the questions.

"Simulations don't count for shit out here. If you go in against space pirates in a military formation, they're going to pick you off easily. You have to fly fast and loose against them." Rocket closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying the clear his mind.

Agent 19 snapped. "I have a ninety-nine percent success rate, I'll have you know."

"Doesn't make me feel any better, sweetheart. That one percent failure is us being vaporized to dust. Do you know how many space battles end in survival? One out of three. That's why they give out so many Purple Stars to military personnel's families and not them. You know why? Because they flarking die in space battles." Rocket was exaggerating, but only a tiny bit. Many space battles didn't end well.

"That's a lie and you know it. How many have you survived?" Agent 19 spat back, she was starting to fume again.

"All of them, because I'm that good." Rocket stated a fact.

"I am Groot!" Groot agreed.

Agent 19 looked forward and started her first run against the Pirate's warship. "All ye of little faith, Rocket, watch this."

The battle cruiser moved in quickly raining down heavy ionizer fire. Cruisers two and three followed suit. The Pirates warship's shields held firmly to the barrage of fire, much to Agent 19's surprise. Their shields were still at ninety-nine percent. They should have been taken down just with a few bolts from the ionizer. Rocket released a few photon missiles, they hit their mark causing the shields to ripple, but not falter. Whatever shields the Pirate warship had were dynamite.

"We need to regroup and rethink out strategy, 19." Rocket suggested, he could feel the sweat beading up on his forehead.

"No we'll be fine, just keep up the offensive. You have to trust me on this." Agent 19 did a good job keeping herself cool under pressure.

Just then a sonic ripple from a heavy explosion rolled over their cruiser. The force pushed the ship into a barrel roll. Agent 19 fought to regain control. She called for a status report from the other cruisers, but when she called out to cruiser two, there was no answer. Agent 14 was no more.

"I am Groot..." A sad cadence from the back seat filtered forward.

"That right buddy 'ol pal. They _are_ in a better place." Rocket said solemnly, trying to keep his wits about him.

Agent 19 brought the cruiser back upright and steadied it. _Maybe Rocket was right, they should regroup and rethink their attack_, Agent 19 thought, but then again. That's what the Pirates would be expecting. Now would be the optimal time to attack now that they were celebrating the victory over the fallen. Without a second thought she flew right back at the Pirate warship. Rocket opened fire, trying to hit any of the critical spots. If they pumped enough ionized energy into the shields, they would be forced to drop. The Pirates would then be sitting Howards for the kill.

"Careful about getting too close to the aft of the ship, they have ripper cannons. One of those projectiles get's through the shields and we're screwed." Rocket shouted at her.

For a moment Agent 19 believed that Rocket was trying to be helpful. But then again maybe he was trying to show her up, trying to get her to relinquish control of the vessel. That wasn't going to happen. She had to prove him wrong, she had to make her father proud. There was a weak point at the aft of the ship, she was going to find it and exploit it. The ship careened around behind the pirate warship.

"What are you doing, stop!" Rocket yelled, but it was too late.

There were several quick, hot bursts coming from a small turret on the back of the ship. A ripper bolt was not unlike a piece of shrapnel from a grenade. It was thin, small, and deadly. Most of the time ripper bolts are magnetized, so it was undetectable by shields of a Octagonal Drive Corporation design, which was unfortunately the exact type of shields the battle cruisers had. The ripper bolt passed right through the shields, cut a hole in the lower hall and ricocheted around a few times. Rocket watched in horror as the weapons monitor flashed a red. "Offline" signal.

"We've lost weapons." Rocket said softly, his terror level was rising, and he was doing everything could to not freak out.

Agent 19 hadn't heard him, she was too busy trying to recover from the last hit. Rocket glared at her through the red lenses of his helmet. She had deliberately disobeyed his suggestion and put them in great peril. Leaving them with no weapons to strike back with, their shields weren't programmed to deflect ripper bolts. Now they were the ones that were sitting Howards. Once the Pirates figure that out, they were dead. A rage was building up inside of Rocket, something bad was going to happen if he didn't get control of the ship. She wasn't going to listen to reason, that left him with only one choice, he was going to have to take it by force.

"Gimme the controls 19, you're going to get us killed. They're trying to get you to make another pass in front of them so they can hit us with their photons. The photons don't have a long distance but they will tear us apart." Rocket was up out of his seat now, pleading with Agent 19.

"Trust me, the goddamned shields will hold. Why don't you so something productive and fire back?!" Agent 19 yelled at the top of her lungs, the feedback from her robotic respirator echoed in the cockpit.

"Because the first the shot you flew us into disabled all of our weapons, like I said it would." Rocket was standing next to her now, his stance menacing.

"Back off Rocket, that's an order!" Agent 19 yelled as she veered the ship hard to the left.

"Stop what are you doing!?" Rocket yelled grabbing one of her hands on the flight control stick and pulled hard the opposite direction.

"I AM GROOT!" Groot too was up out of his seat now.

Agent 19 growled and elbowed Rocket hard in the gut, and then headbutted him. There was a heavy pop in Rocket's helmet and all he could hear was the crackling coming from his comm link. The cruiser drifted along the front of the Pirate's Warship. The whole cruiser rattle violent and all the screens lit up with red alert buzzers. Agent 19 was fighting to even out the ship. The damage was bad, critical as per the system read outs.

The forward destabilizing photon blaster from the front battery of the Pirate's warship was far stronger than Agent 19 had expected. It only took two blasts to cripple them. One to neutralize their shields, and the other to tear through their drive core. The ship was going to go super-nova. Plasma smoke from the drive core was filling the cockpit. Thanks to the respirators in their helmets they would be fine, but Groot was still in danger. There was a count down timer on the main view screen for how long they had until the ship blew. Five minutes wasn't long to make any rash decision. They had two choices, to return to the personnel freighter, or land upon the forest moon's surface.

Rocket grabbed the arm of his seat and pulled himself up, the sounds coming from the ship were terrifying. There were beeps and blaring horns all around him, even in his head. There was a crackling coming from his comm link. _Why weren't the nanomites fixing the goddamned thing_? He thought to himself. When he looked at the flat screens he saw the digital read outs. 'Critical' was the word that continuously flashed across them. Then he read 'Plasma smoke detected in the cockpit'. His heart jumped into his chest, Groot was going to suffocate to death if he didn't do something.

"Do we have an oxygen mask for Groot?" Rocket yelled to her, but she just sat there looking at the screens.

"We have to get back to the freighter!" Again there was no response.

Rocket stepped closer and grabbed her shoulder firmly, she snatched around to look at him with her red lens covered eyes. "Are you listening?! We have to do something! Do we have a gas mask for Groot?"

Agent 19 was at a loss for what to do. Panic took hold of her. Every rational thought she had was blocked out by her mind screaming that she and her pride had caused all of this to happen. Groot reassured her, that Rocket was the better pilot, and perhaps he was. Why didn't she listen when she had the chance? Now Rocket was screaming into her comm link. Four minutes left on the timer.

"Flarking come back to me!" Rocket slapped the side of her helmet and she gripped his chest.

"Yes, under his seat, there should be a gas mask." She choked out as she was trying to regain control of the situation.

Rocket was on the move, he knelt down next to Groot's chair and pulled out something that was not unlike a dentistry head gear. There were three simple instructions. Rocket was relieved that it wasn't more complicated than it had to be. The only resistance Rocket met with was the straps were almost too short to fit around Groot's head, but he managed to work it out. Rocket pushed the mouth piece into Groot's craggy mouth and activated it. The soft hum of the oxygen device was lost amidst the beeping and blaring. Groot's eyes fluttered open slowly as he looked at Rocket. There was a great sigh of relief pushing through him.

One problem down, one more to go. He was on his feet and at Agent 19's side again. Her fingers were flying around the many flat screens. Obviously she had a plan of some sort, hopefully it was better than the plan that landed them in this mess in the first place.

"What are you doing?" Rocket yelled to her, that was the first moment that she realized his comm link was broken.

"I'm trying to jettison the drive core. We'll lose the rest of our power, but when the drive core ruptures the force will push us into the gravitational pull of that moon. The moon below us is registered as an M-class world, which means we'll be able to survive there, until rescue comes." Agent 19 finally brought up the prompt to drop the drive core.

She moved her finger along the screen in a sliding motions. A green 'Success' flashed across the screen. The beeping stop, the blaring ceased and suddenly everything went quiet. There was an a small crack in the hull that sucked all the atmosphere out of the cock pit. Gravity failed. Rocket's feet left the floor leaving him hovering helplessly in the air. Groot wedged himself against the ceiling, reaching out to snag Rocket on the way by, pulling him close to his chest.

There was less then a minute on the countdown. It didn't matter. Agent 19 was doing everything she could to right this wrong that she cause. She rerouted all the energy left into the ship's thrusters. There wasn't even a minute worth of energy left in the energy cells. Slowly, she managed to rotate the ship so the bottom was towards the drive core. With the last ounce of energy she sealed the crack in the hull. It won't hold indefinitely, but it may just give them the chance the need.

Agent 19 was keeping the counting going on in her head. Ten...nine, she thought. When she turned to see that Rocket and Groot were secured to the ceiling. Eight...seven, she counted. Rocket was beckoning her to join them. Groot had wrapped several vines around Rocket to keep him secure. Six...five, she continued as she fought to free herself from the belt. Her body lifted weightlessly into the air. Four...three, sweat was running down her face from the building terror inside of her. Groot snatched her up in his other arm and braced her against Rocket tightly shielding them from as much harm as he could. Two...then the explosion.

There was no sound from the explosion, only the heavy push that the ship got. The push was so massive that their bodies jerked hard, it made their muscles ache, their teeth hurt, their noses bleed. It hadn't taken much to push the cruiser into the atmosphere of the moon, if anything they were now traveling faster than they should be. The outside of the ship was getting hotter, to the point of a glowing a red tint. Luckily the ceiling was well isolated or Groot would have been burned to a crisp. The trees were rushing up to meet them at an unfathomable speed. Rocket looked at Groot and clung to him, Groot held the Rocket and Agent 19 tightly to him as if they were his children. Agent 19 stared out the front window at the land coming up on them. The last thought she had before the wreck was that she had been so wrong, about everything. She had even miscounted, if she would have been free floating when the explosion happened, she would be dead now. Maybe Rocket and Groot would be better off without her.

Then there was a jarring rumble. The vibrations were harder than anything they'd ever felt before. The cruiser careened sideways and tumbled end over end. Then... blackness.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The Heart of the Matter

_Popcorn_, Rocket thought, his eyes were still tightly closed. _Popping popcorn_, he thought again. That's what he heard from all around him. His nose started pecking at the air trying to pull in the luscious buttery smell, but there was none. There was the smell of wood, burning like a barbecue. The smell was never popcorn at all, but the sound of burning wood. There was a slight amount of disappointment that there would be no popcorn, but then again there was the barbecue. Steaks get cooked on the barbecue, his thought process moved on from popcorn to juicy, meaty steak very easily. Suddenly he was hungry.

_Going to have to get me some of that steak_, he thought one final time before he rolled over onto his side. Every inch of his body was sore and screamed with pain as he moved. The grass, the earth beneath him was soft, not unlike a very firm bed. The only difference was it was cool and wet against his cheek. For a moment he didn't want to open his eyes, he was far too comfortable. That was when the memories of space battle came flooding back to him. Agent 19 had put them in harms way with her pride and pigheadedness. There was a rush of anger that surged through him. She'd made them crashed. Risked he and Groot's...Oh god Groot!

Rocket sat straight up and looked around. The first thing he saw was Groot sitting up against the truck a of huge street. Now you must understand that Groot is of a particularly huge size as it is, so if the tree is huge to him, than it must be an enormous tree. Groot turned his head slowly and looked at his friend Rocket with tired eyes. A wide grin pushed it way across his face.

"I am Groot..." Groot said tiredly as he reached up and touched the nub that use to be his one arm.

Rocket cringed and shook his head slowly. "That sucks buddy, hopefully it grows back quickly."

Groot nodded as he put a long thin tree branch between his lips as if it were a wheat reed, Rocket coughed hard and spoke. "Where is...what's her face? Agent 19?" He purposefully stammered on her name.

Groot turned back to him and said in a forced tone. "I am Groot."

"Hunting? Terrific, I hope she scores something good." Rocket rubbed either side of his head, trying to clear the thumping that was going on.

"I am Groot!" He said while starting to get up, but Rocket held his hand up.

"Don't get up buddy, stay there and rest. I'm fine. I just need a moment to reset myself that's all..." Rocket stretched and breathed in deeply.

Resetting was a good way for Rocket to say, he needed to get his shit together. He wasn't sure what the name of the moon was that they were on, but it was very similar to an M-class planet. All around him were thousands of giant trees. A forest very similar to the forests that he'd seen to on Earth before, but more dense. The air was heavier than most of the places he'd been as well, but survivable. That must be the reason why Groot was so tired now, being surrounded by so much oxygen was the equivalent to eating too much.

Above him, anchored to the trees in a make shift tent were the wings from the cruiser. It must have been Groot's idea to set them up like that, they were securely wedged into the side of the tree and angled out into the dirt. Further secured by having large boulders placed behind the wings. Sometimes it paid to have a Groot on your team. Beneath the wing tent was a small hastily built campsite.

It was at that moment, Rocket realized everything around him was green, everything was in a color other than red. His helmet was gone, and with it his visor. He ran his hands down his chest. The leather armor that protected the upper half of his body was gone as well. Out of all the armor he'd been wearing, all he had left was his tank top, most of his leather trousers, his boots, and one glove. Beside him in the grass was one of his blasters, the other was Gods only knew where. His double barrel atomizer sat next to the blaster. A few clips for his blaster, only two additional energy shells for his atomizer.

That was when Rocket felt a surge of panic as he felt around his thigh. The pant leg that had held his pipe pouch was gone, so too what his pouch. There was a twinge of pain deep inside of him. The anger that he had towards Agent 19 had more than rekindled, it was a full blown fiery fury. He'd protected that pouch with his life more than a hundred times, and her idiocy had cost him something so dear.

Rocket forced himself to stand up despite how much his muscles objected. It wasn't so bad once he got to his feet. Although it didn't help the pounding of his head. Rocket snatched up the double barrel atomizer and threw it over his shoulder. With the loss of the muscle enhancements from the nanomites in his upper body armor, the atomizer was quite a bit heavier than he remembered. He bent down to scoop up his blaster trying to push it into a holster that just wasn't there.

"That won't work." A familiar robotic voice called from behind him.

Rocket turned and raised his blaster in the voice's direction. Agent 19 stood behind him with a strange looking beast draped over her shoulder. It appeared very deer like with it's thin legs and cloven hooves. The fur was a dirty white, with brown spots all over it. It's neck was short and thick. The goat's head that hung from it's stubby neck had a few features in common with a large jungle cat. There were two aluminum bolts sticking out from it. One in it's flank and the other of it's chest.

Agent 19 had suffered from the crash as well. Rocket noticed it almost immediately because of the bright green glowing fur that shown all around. Her helmet was still in working order, but she's lost her left eyepiece. Her armor top had to be refashioned into a leather kilt. Leaving her with just a black tank top. Her trousers no doubt were obliterated. One of her boots was torn half way down and off. She still had both of her gloves. At her hip, hanging from a refashioned seat belt strap was a Hyper Plasti-steel Hand Crossbow 900 Series. A small makeshift satchel hung at her back, it was weighted down by something Rocket couldn't make out. Around her calf on the leg that still had the full boot was Rocket's "dagger". All of this was observed in a second, his thumb clicked the safety switch off on his blaster.

When Agent 19 saw that she'd been drawn on, she dropped the creature and held out her hand. "Wait Rocket, it's me!"

"I know! You almost killed us you stupid bitch, gimme one good reason why I should blow your face off." Rocket yelled, the sound stung his throbbing head.

Groot was up from his spot on the ground, making his way to stand between them. The thundering of his friend coming up behind him, distracted him long enough for Agent 19 to move in closer. Her glowing fur had been the only thing that alerted him to her assault. Rocket turned in enough time to block a forward chop to his face with his forearm. It hadn't bought him any extra time however. Agent 19 gripped his blaster and twisted it free from his hand, tossing it aside. Rocket stumbled back and crouched down, dodging a fast round house kick, leaving him and opening. He planted both of his hands firmly against her backside and shoved her already off balance body.

Masterfully she tumbled forward into a somersault and came back up on her feet. Even without full use of her armor she was frightfully fast. Rocket didn't have nearly enough skill to beat her in a fair fight. All the while Groot was carefully stepping around them trying to block them from one another at every chance he got, while doing his best not to step on either of them. As the two ran at each other. Groot was stepping down between them. This was the chance Rocket needed, he feigned to the right in enough time before Groot stepped down, so that Agent 19 would assume he was going that way. Then he changed his trajectory to go left.

It had worked, when he rounded the tree trunk leg he could see Agent 19 has her back to him. With ever ounce of power in his body he bull rushed her. One elbow kept out as it slammed it into her back right between her shoulder blades. Her feet left the ground as both of their bodies were flying through the air.

Agent 19 landed on her chest with a deep woof sound, Rocket's body falling on top of her giving him another satisfying groan. The air had been knocked out of her, of this Rocket was sure. With and opportunity like this, he rolled her over on her back. She kicked hard with her right legs, but he'd anticipated it. Rocket grabbed her leg under his arm left arm and pinched it against his body. With all the strength he had in his weary body, he punched the inside of her thigh hard. Agent 19 let out a high pitch scream, and rocked her head from side to side. _Had he just severed her leg_, she thought. In truth he had made muscle in her thigh jump and tightened with a seething pain that pushed through her entire leg. It wouldn't be permanent in any stretch of imagination, but she would have trouble moving it for a minute or two.

Rocket climbed on top of her. Pinning her arms to her sides as he straddled across her belly. His fingers searching down her flailing right leg until he found what he was looking for. Once the "dagger" hilt was in his hand, he flipped the switch and it formed into a formidable blade. He held it ready as if he were going to run her through.

"Stop Rocky!" Agent 19 screamed.

Just then Groot swept in and grabbed Rocket by the arm that was holding the blade and lifted him into the air so they could be face to face. "I AM GROOT!" His gruff voice boomed to the point it left Rocket's ears ringing.

Agent 19 fought to get to her feet, but Groot stomped the ground next to her, the rumble throwing her onto her back once again. "I am Groot..." He hissed as he locked eyes with her.

"What did he say?" Agent 19 whimpered as he hugged her leg to her chest.

Rocket panted heavily and conceded to the will of his much larger friend. "He said...he said we are behaving like children. We need to talk it out and stop fighting. Then he said...if we don't he's going to paddle our asses and put us in a coroner."

"I am Groot." Groot snatched a glance back at him.

"Corner, put us in a corner. Sorry buddy." Rocket said softly.

"I thought that's what he said." Agent 19 panted, the voice box in her helmet was shorting out. "Truce for Gods sake."

"Truce." Rocket said in defeated.

Groot placed Rocket down on the ground on his backside. Then reached over and helped Agent 19 sit up. Neither of the two made a move to stand up nor take a go at each other. They just stared back and forth at each other, too tired to even exchange dirty looks.

Some much needed time had passed. Groot sighed softly and looked up through the top of the trees. The sun was going down painting the forest in warm colors of reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks. _It was so beautiful, inviting, if Rocket could paint, he would probably not paint it because it would a waste of time_, Groot thought. It was such a nice change from the blackness of space. But at the same time it was worrisome, why was it taking so long to be rescued. None of them had any clue what it would be like to spend a night in this place. Perhaps they would just have to huddle together beside the fire and hope for the best. Groot wasn't afraid, especially now that his other arm had grown back.

However not much had changed from earlier. Rocket and Agent 19 were still not on speaking terms. At least Groot had convinced them to start dinner. Roasted whatever the creature was, and random mushrooms and vegetables. Those were his favorite anyway. The two fleshies could just eat all the meat.

While the food was cooking, this gave Groot sometime to reflect upon their situation. His wards, the raccoonoid and the Agent. Both very similar beings when it came to attitude. Their pride levels were off the charts. This would make things difficult for survival, but Groot was optimistic about their chances. From what he gathered. Rocket had feelings for this Agent 19, but the Agent 19 had tricked him, by pretending to be someone else. This was what caused all the problems in the first place.

The second thing was Rocket had asked her politely on numerous occasions to take off her helmet. Offering her an olive branch, so that they may rekindle their fertilizing ritual or such. But Agent 19 dodged his request at every chance. A frustrating prospect to be sure. Groot already knew who she was, that had been revealed to him at the Gory Hole Tavern on Knowhere. That was why he surrendered so easily. Why didn't he just tell Rocket? Simple it was not his place to do so. If Agent 19 wanted to play her silly games, that was her business.

The third complaint and surely the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was Rocket assured her that he was a superior pilot, and would keep them out of danger when they went up against the Pirate warship. That was when Agent 19's pride reared it's ugly head. It didn't turn out well. Rocket's response was only partially warranted, but he was a creature of very little patience as Groot had learned over the years. But Rocket's pride would have earned them the same reward if roles had been reversed. They would still be in the woods, waiting to be rescued. The only thing he could offer his friends now was a sympathetic...

"I am Groot." Groot said softly from where he was leaning.

"I know buddy." Rocket said softly, his voice cracking as he thought about his lost pipe.

Agent 19 didn't have to ask what he had said, she already knew. It was the same thing that she'd been thinking about the whole time on her hunt. It took a real woman to admit when she had been wrong. She only hoped that he could be a real man and accept it.

"I'm sorry." Agent 19 said softly, her voice still cutting out through the helmet speaker.

Rocket shook his head slowly. "Take the goddamned helmet off!" Rocket snapped, his tone was frustrated, but his cadence was weary.

Agent 19 hesitated and just sat there. "No..." Was all she rebutted.

"You're not allowed to away one more word until you take you flarking helmet off." Rocket was trying to remain calm for Groot's sake, but he could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up.

"No!" She snapped back her voice cut out, but there was a desperation present in her voice.

"That's it, I'm taking the flarking thing of myself!" Rocket jumped up and was on the move.

Groot grabbed him and set him right back down in the grass. "I am Groot." Groot snapped this time, he gazed tiredly from Rocket to Agent 19.

"He says, he thinks it's time to take off the mask." Rocket stated, resting his forearms on his knees.

"I'm not ready for this." She stated, trying to compose herself.

"I am Groot..." Groot moved closer to sit next to her.

Rocket continued to translate what his friend was saying. "He says, hiding is what caused all these hurt feelings in the first place."

"I am Groot." Groot put his arm around her comfortingly.

"He said that if you reveal yourself, all of this will be resolved." Rocket reheard himself and looked at Groot. "What the hell are you talking about buddy?"

"I can't take it off just yet, you don't understand." Agent 19's heart was racing in her chest, she was on the verge of breaking down.

"I am Groot..." He said softly reaching up, putting his hands on either side of her helmet.

"He said that he's going to take off your helmet now, so get ready." Rocket got up on his feet now that he was about to be rewarded for his patience, or lack there of.

Groot didn't wait for her to object or respond, he just lifted the helmet slowly off of her head. Agent 19 didn't put up a fight. Once the helmet was off, the glow around her grew brighter. It looked as if she'd fallen into a toxic waste dump in an animated movie. That was the main reason she'd hid her true self from him, because she felt it made her look like a freak. But Rocket knew it was something else that kept her from showing him. The choice however was no longer her's, she'd been firmly backed into a corner. Maybe Groot was right, maybe if she had been honest from the start everything would have gone better. Lie after lie had only made this whole situation worse. It was time to face the music. _What's the worse that could happen?_ She asked herself. A lot, Rocket was a volatile person and dangerous. So unpredictable it was scary. The only reason she felt alright with this at all was because Groot was there. She believed that he would protect her if Rocket got too crazy, or violent.

Rocket stared daggers into Groot's hand, an inner voice telling him that his friend was stalling for some reason. The moment Groot pulled the helmet away and stepped back. Alicia's eyes met Rocket's. Everything seemed to melt away around them. The universe stopped just so they could share this moment alone together. Alicia saw a range of emotions wash over his face.

Rage came first, his eyes swelling with a fire. Then a realization washed over his face, leaving him weak in the knees. His mouth hung open in confusion as he was trying to speak, trying to rationalize with what his brain was seeing. He took a step forward, a single uneasy chuckle escaped his lips as the slowly went from a smile to a frown. Then he fell to his knees and broke down, both his hands covering his face. His voice coming out as wailing or more appropriately keening. His shoulders heaving with his sobs. Alicia didn't know what to do. Of all the things she imagined that would happen, this was the last thing she thought would happen.

Groot reached down his large hand and gave her a nudge. Alicia looked up at him and could see what Groot was trying to tell her. Alicia swallowed hard and pushed herself up from the ground running to Rocket's side. She knelt, her fingers dancing along his heaving back. Emotions washed over forcing her down, leaning over him. Covering him in her warmth. Alicia worked her arms across his chest and pulled him tight to her. It wasn't going to magically fix everything that had happened. But it was a start. Then something else unexpected happened, rocket took her hand and held it tightly to his chest.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word

Everything in the camp was bathed in the dancing orange light from the fire. Only the soft sound of Groot snoring and the crackling of fire were in the air. A warm scent of roasted beast still lingered around them. Rocket rested against the large tree trunk rubbing his overfull belly. The beast had been surprisingly delicious, despite that it had no seasoning. He rolled his head back looking up into the late night sky, amazed at how dark it was without a moon. At least the stars were bright and beautiful. The forest around them was calm and peaceful. It allowed him the chance to slip back into his mind, mull over what had happened at sunset. Everything seemed to swirl in a confusing whirlpool of emotions.

Agent 19, Silas, and Officer Biggs. They had all been Alicia from the start. At first when she was revealed to him, he thought that she was playing a trick on him. When she reminded him of some of the things they'd talk about years ago, in private, he knew. Then he was struck with confusion, how had she survived all this time? Again Alicia was kind enough to divulge everything. Rocket was beside himself when he'd learned that she did in fact die. But by some miracle, science or otherwise. She was brought back...not brought back, reborn.

Then she told him of the Silver Surfer coming to her. Helping her establish the Deadlights Society. Rocket was the one who figured out that Artemis was still alive and the leader of the Deadlights Society. He had joked that it wasn't that hard to figure it out. Alicia also told him about Aisha and her two sons Anders, and Alastair were all part of the Deadlights as well. Rocket had a good laugh when he found out that Agents 4 and 5 were Aisha's sons. He's grown with them, they use to be his friends. Although now he felt bad about besting them back at the tavern. Alicia assured him, that they thought it had been all in good fun.

It was strange to him how after having such hard feelings towards her, they had just vanished once he realized who she was. They had picked up right where they'd left off all those years ago. He'd even made a joke about her being much brighter now, than when she was young. Her response was simply in agreement. That she was brighter, both in mind and body. The term 'no hard feelings' never really meant all that much to Rocket, until this moment. Perhaps he was just happy that she wasn't dead, or maybe happy that he could be with her once again. Neither of them ever said sorry to one another about everything that happened earlier. Rocket wasn't sure if pride was to blame for this one, or if "Sorry" wasn't that important of a word between he and Alicia. She'd grown to become a woman, one of his his type of women, in truth.

"Where are you Rocky?" Alicia moved up from the shadows to plop down between he and Groot.

"Oh I was looking at the sky, counting all the stars. You know, the same daydreaming crap I use to do when I was a kid." Rocket turned his attention to her, enjoying the soft glow from her fur.

"When you were a kid? You're still a kid Rocky." She teased him with a gentle elbow to his arm.

"Easy, or I'll get my daddy to beat up your daddy." Rocket motioned to the sleeping Groot.

Alicia giggled and leaned against the large tree trunk. "More like sugar daddy! By the way you have my vote for cutest couple."

"Oh no, a low blow. He's stunned ladies and gentlemen, will she go for the finisher." Rocket gestured wildly with his hand, making it seem like she'd beaten him in a fight.

"I wouldn't mind..." A coy look came to her eyes, her fingers finding his thigh.

Rocket froze for a moment. Had she said what he just thought she'd said? Was she making a move on him? His eyes staring deeply into hers. All he found in her large green eyes was comfort. Was she sincerely offering? His body wanted to act upon it, but a soft voice in the back of his mind whispered that it was too soon. Rocket's eyes slipped away from her gaze to look at her hand lightly squeezing this thigh.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. It's just, seeing you smile and hearing you laugh. It causes all these emotions inside of me." When she took her hand away, he reached up and cradled it in his fingers. "...It's been a long time since I've been able to be myself around you. I don't know how to compose myself."

"You don't have to be sorry about that. I'm a male, so I respond best to these sort of things. I just feel bad that, I have to decline you." His thumb moved along the back of her hand. "I just need some time to process all of this."

Alicia just smiled and leaned close to whisper in his ear. "You always did need more time to process things, that was one of the things I loved about you. I honestly felt that the longer it took for you to accept something, only meant that you cared more about it, enough to work harder to accept it."

Rocket nodded and smirked. "Hmm, I just thought I was immature. I guess I never really thought about it like that before."

"So take your time Rocket Raccoon. I've waited this long for you, I can wait a forever if I have to." There was an authoritative sound to her voice, but it melted away into a giggle.

"Thank you for understanding." Rocket said as he leaned against her.

Alicia didn't say anything, she just sat there looking at her gloved hands. They folded together, the leather creaking quietly in the dark. At that point Rocket's fingers slid down her warm arm to envelope both of her hands. She turned her head slightly to see that he was looking up at her. Her own green reflection shimmering in his moist eyes.

Rocket spoke, it sounded as if he were on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry for leaving you all those years ago. I'm sorry for not contacting you...I'm sorry..."

Alicia leaned close and pecked his lips softly. "You and I Rocket, don't have to apologize for what we did in the past. We've all done crummy thing, selfish things, some more terrible than others. But those things are exactly where they belong, in the past." His lips played along her warm blushing cheek. "Life it too precious to live in the then. Take it from someone whose died. Now is all that matters."

Rocket sniffled and smirked clumsily. "Well if you were working your way into my shorts, you're on the right track."

Alicia cracked up laughing, her tone so loud that Groot snorted and grumbled. "You're an ass you know that?"

"Oh I've been told, many a times." Rocket looked down at the grass and pulled a few blades free from the ground.

Alicia laid her head upon his shoulder and sighed softly. "I can tell there is still something on your mind."

"There are lots of things on my mind honestly. Like what happened to my armor, I figured the nanomites would have repaired it all. My helmet is gone as well. I lost a blaster. I also lost..." His voice quieted as he ran his fingers along his bare thigh.

Alicia already knew what he was really missing. Fortunately the pipe pouch hadn't gone that far after the crash. It was easy to find with her one good visor lens. The nanomite technology signaled that his armor had been critically damaged. She'd followed the signal to where the pouch lay in the grass. When she'd finished hunting, she had every intention of giving it back to him. But something more important came up at the time.

"Well, I'll fill you in on all of that technical crap, but I'm going to need a smoke first." Alicia giggled, producing the pipe pouch from her satchel.

Rocket was too stunned for words, he took the pouch from her and looked at it. "...you rescued this? How? Where?"

Alicia shook her head. "It's not important,. What is important, is that you kept it safe all these years. I guess you do kinda like me after all."

Rocket chuckled and held up his thumb and index finger an inch apart. "Maybe a little."

"Better than none." Alicia watched as Rocket pulled the pipe from the pouch, packing it with some of the tobacco.

A warm smile washed over her face. Seeing him use the pipe again, made her heart swell. When they were younger, he'd been so clumsy about it. For a moment she could almost see him fumbling and dumping tobacco into his lap. Then watched him frustratedly packing the pipe again for a second try. Now he was a pro at it. Times do change, so do people. Rocket offered her the next drag off of the pipe, which she accepted gratefully. She'd not smoked since before going away to the military. The taste was awful, and the burning in her lungs was unexpected.

"Oh Gods...that tobacco...is terrible." Alicia coughed hard and forced a gag.

Rocket cackled as he took the pipe back. "Aisha thought so too, I told her I bought it in bulk so I'm stuck with it for now."

"Hell no, once...we get back to the...Mothership, you're throwing that...crap away." Alicia continued her coughing fit, trying to recover.

Rocket chuckled and rubbed her back in a circular motion helping her work out the cough. "I would appreciate it, this stuff really sucks. But it'll do in a pinch."

Rocket continued to enjoy his pipe, while he and Alicia talked. Amazed to find out that his armor couldn't repair itself, if pieces of the armor were severed from the rest of it. Nanomites were only as strong as the numbers they carry. If his pant leg was severed then they essentially became two separate pieces of armor. Rocket's armor, on the other hand had been burned up. Groot had peeled it off of him before any real damage had been caused. As for what happened to his helmet, it had broken in half and was lost amidst the ruins of the ship, along with his other blaster.

Alicia also assured him that she was working on an escape route from the moon. When she was out hunting, she'd picked up a huge energy surge a few miles from their camp. That would be the best place to search. If there was an energy source, she could use it to power her helmet and make contact with a rescue vessel. The plan was pretty solid and they agreed that at first light they should start heading in that direction.

Alicia watched at Rocket started packing another bowl full of tobacco. "Just one more and we should try to get some sleep." Rocket said balancing the pouch against his belly.

Something in the back of the pouch caught her attention. Yellowed from age and close quarters with the tobacco, was the note that she'd written to him so long ago. Alicia took the pouch from him and reached in to retrieved the old envelope. Rocket was too focused on Sparking the pipe to notice that she was fishing around for something. Once the embers were burning and the smoke was flowing, he looked out of the corner of his eye and snatched around.

"Don't look at that." Rocket said, a slow waft of smoke rolled out passed his lips.

Alicia set the pouch next to her on the grass and turned the envelope over. "You never read my note, that explains a lot."

"I was afraid to..." Rocket shifted away, the shadow of the tree casting over his face, as if he were trying to hide his shame.

Alicia opened the envelope and read the note aloud for him.

_Rocky,_

_I'm sorry that I had to leave you this way. I thought that leaving while you're asleep was the most merciful thing I could do. Please know that I love you and I never meant to hurt you. These last two weeks have been the greatest time of my life. It's really pushed me into thinking about you and I._

_I want to say sorry, but sorry may just be the hardest word to say, because it always requires an explanation. I don't have one. At first I thought it was my own selfish wants that pushed me to join the military. Then I tried to rationalize it by saying, it was for the weak and downtrodden. It wasn't until last night that I realized, I was doing it for us. I want to give you a good life. One that we can be proud of._

_I guess what I'm trying to say is. Will you marry me? I know it's suppose to be the guy that asks the girl, but I know you're too mad to ask me. I want you to be my husband. Fly the stars with me and in a few years when we've saved up enough money. Settle down together and make a family._

_I know this is a huge decision, but please just think about it. If you say yes, you'll make me the happiest girl in the galaxy. I've put the address of where I'll be training at the bottom of this page. Please write me your answer. Even if it's no I just want to hear from you and know that you don't hate me. _

_Forgive me for hurting you._

_Love always,_

_Alicia_

Alicia folded the paper and pushed it back into the envelope, before tucking it back into the pouch. When she looked at Rocket she noticed he'd moved close to her once again. Again his dark brown eyes were misty. All this time, all this wasted energy could have been bypassed if he'd just opened the letter. It was too late to lament his choice now. Beside his younger self would have been insulted by the letter. Thinking that she was patronizing him. The person in the past was a different person than he was now.

Alicia giggled softly and shook her head. "I was so sappy back then, wasn't I?"

Rocket remained quiet for a long time, he tapped his pipe on his knee. Then he blew into the mouth piece cleaning out the last embers of the tobacco. He tucked the pipe back into his pouch and sealed it. Alicia stared at him, his long silence was starting to cause her to worry. His face was impossible to read. Rocket turned his head to look at her and leaned close.

Rocket's lips were so close to her's, they were almost touching. "...yes..." was all he whispered before kissing her lips deeply.

At first Alicia hadn't understood what he meant, until there lips locked. It felt as if her heart was going to burst in her chest. A tremble was running through her so hard that Rocket must have noticed because he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

They lay together for a long time, just kissing and holding each other. Neither one could remember who fell asleep first, they were both physically and emotionally exhausted. What could be said for the both of them, was as long as they were together they were going to sleep well tonight.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Untold Secrets of a Dead God

"...come to me..." Whispered a voice deep inside of his head.

Rocket sat up with a start, his heart was pounding in his chest. Everything seemed wrong. Something lingered in the air, something terrible. There was no sound in his ears with the exception of his own throbbing heart. The air around him felt wrong, heavy, it made him feel wrong. As hard as it was, he fought the malaise and forced himself to get up from the ground. His eyes scanned the ground where he'd been lying. His blaster was gone. For that matter Alicia and Groot were gone as well. In fact when he looked around, nothing seemed familiar. Thick trunk trees all around him, beyond that he couldn't see because of the morning fog had rolled in.

Someone or something must have moved him in the night. He patted himself down, they'd been eager to strip him of anything that could used as a weapon. A creak came from behind him and he swung around. It was nothing, or was it nothing? There in the fog, a shadow moved disappearing behind a tree. Rocket felt compelled to follow it, but not in this state. He bent down and picked up large branch to use as a weapon.

Slowly he moved, his feet crunching down on old wet leaves underfoot. The sound was painfully loud and was easily giving away his position. No matter what he did, he couldn't lessen the noise. Dead ahead of him was the tree, he raised the stick above his head. When he rounded the tree where he'd seen the shadow, there was nothing. Not even footprints, or disturbed leaves. Rocket smirked and nodded as if he's figured out an obvious puzzle or riddle.

"It's a dream, I'm in a goddamned dream." His voice was as low as whisper, but still echoed off the foul air and the trees.

"Well now that I know, I guess I just close my eyes really tight and when I open them. I'll be awake." Rocket reasoned with himself, and he did.

Closed his eyes so tight he was almost seeing white circles behind them. Something unexpected happened when he opened them again. It was night in forest, darker than it had ever been. All around him the leave flowed in the wind, filling his head with a sound not unlike rushing water. An urgency ran through him now hurting deep down in the pit of his stomach. This was not how dreams worked. The hair of the back of his neck bristled. He wanted nothing more than to wake up from this.

"...you are my sheep, and I shall shepherd you to me..." The voice whispered again in his mind.

Rocket shook his head freneticaly mouthing the word 'no'. Every ounce of his being was convincing him that this was not where he wanted to be. He rolled his arm over looking at the fur along the underside of it, before he pinched himself hard. Hard enough to cause a welt under his fur. Nothing, he was still trapped in this dream, no, it wasn't a dream at all. It was a nightmare. Somehow he'd been sucked into this alternate universe or something like that. Despite how stupid it sounded, he couldn't rule out that this kind of thing happens. _Sometimes a friendly neighborhood Spider-man get involved with an evil symbiotic alien, sometimes a Professor of a school for freaks gets sucked into a shadow dimension. This shit happens now a days_, Rocket rationalized with himself.

"...Don't diminish my worth puny mortal..." The voice boomed from behind him, urging him to make a run for it, through the pitch black forest.

Rocket hadn't taken more than three steps before he felt the ground underneath him disappear. All of his blood rushed to his head as he was free falling. The rushing sounds were getting louder and louder, until he was engulf in a watery blanket. Not water, something else. Thick, cold, it tasted terrible. Rocket fought to spit it out, but he was once again pulled under by the rushing current, and then resurfaced. It tasted briny, vinegary, like sucking on an Earth penny.

Blood! Rocket realized. It was cold, viscus blood. It was time to leave Rocket urged as he flailed around against the current. His claws grabbing and digging into anything he could. Relief swept through him once his claws had sunk into the wet dirt at the bank of this blood river. He pulled himself up out the liquid, gasping in deep breaths of air. The smell was putrid as if something had died in the desert and starting to decomposing. No, even that would smell sweeter than this.

Rocket fought to blink the blood from his burning eyes. The sun was rising at his back casting the beautiful morning light across something terrible indeed. The blood was black in color, burbling and bubbling over the rocks. Rounding fallen trees in a quagmire of death. The blood was coming from a very large and very old being.

Rocket crawled up on the shore rolling onto his back. The dirt was soft and spongy from blood soaking into it. He was panting heavily and pushing himself to get up, forcing himself to stand. It took him a long moment to understand what he was seeing. The jagged rocks that he'd nearly fallen on, on his way down, were teeth. They yellowed and corroded over time, but Rocket knew all too well, what they were. The tall cliff around him were his lips. In the distance in the morning light he saw a slope that could very well be the being's nose. Much like a humanoid's nose, but more piggy. It was covered in mold and gray decaying flesh. The island in the blood river, was nothing more than a giant tongue that had swollen and had flopped out of the side of giant's mouth.

Rocket's knees gave way and he was down again. He pressed his face into his hands, fighting the urge to scream. _This was just a dream_, he whispered to himself. Trying to be as rational as he could. _Why can't I wake up?_ He thought to himself. When he sat back on is heels and opened his eyes. He was floating in a vast space. Before him a figure, giant in stature. Giant was such a lacking word for this being. It was larger than a planet, larger than many M-class planets Rocket had visited.

The being was still alive, but slowly decaying. Black figures crawled all over it on their hands and feet like wild animals. They were tearing bits and pieces of flesh from it feeding and growing stronger much like a disease. Rocket shook his head slowly in confusion. He was in awe at what he was seeing. This was something not meant for him. He deemed himself too stupid to understand this.

"...your nano technology allowed me to find you..." The voice deep and rumbling through him, it was spoken softly, but it still rang in his ears.

"What do you want?" Rocket asked, his voice muddled, sounding like he was speaking into a bowl.

"...for you to hear me..." The voice called again, the rumble was so hard Rocket felt like his insides were going to rupture.

"I'll listen." Rocket choked, his hands gripping his stomach.

"...I am old, older than many galaxies that exist now..." The voice continued. "...some would call me a god, but I am too humble for that title...humble and terrible...I did terrible things when I was alive...I devoured planets, stars, suns...all to feed a hunger that did not really exist..." There was a long pause before he spoke again.

"...I have see heaven, hell, and purgatory in my existence...I had sacrificed my arm for the chance to see other dimensions...but never have I seen or known love before...I gazed into the portal of the dimensions, mine eyes sought to find such a thing...when I did, she gaze back at me..." There was another long pause, from his voice I sounded as if he were slowly dying.

"...she had become my life...I had promised her everything...but the only thing she asked of me...was to fill this void in her heart...to feed her, until she was satiated...only then would she be happy...and we could be together...thus I sacrificed everything for her...I created a gem that contained the souls of million humanoids...certainly that would fill a void...when she learned of the gem, she had become obsessed with it...I had given to her...she devoured it, becoming stronger...but it wasn't enough for her..." His voice choked at one point.

"...I fashioned another, and then another...no matter how many she devoured...she would never be satiated...that is when I discovered, the void could never be filled...and she would never be mine... unless...so then I fashioned a stone from my own soul...irreversible was this ritual...I was left dying...growing weak...I was no longer able to speak with her through the portal...But she told me that she wanted the stone...that it would be the only way we would ever be together..." There was a long pause and Rocket expected it to be the last of the story.

"...I told her I was too weak to bring it to her...that was when she said...if I could not bring it to her, she would find another...to fetch it from me for her...I knew then that she never loved me...she only wanted the power...I put the stone deep inside of me...it is devouring me as we speak...I can no longer protect it, I am dying...this moon is dying...she had found another...they search for it now...take it away from here...hide it away...let no one have it...if she gains control over it...no one is safe." The voice faded once more."

"What will happen if she gets it?!" Rocket yelled to the being.

Things around him rushed forward. It felt as if the skin on his face were going to peel off the skull. Then he stopped. He was face to face with a round orb the size of a cantaloup. It shimmered and it shined like nothing he'd ever seen before. It looked like a transparent pearl. Flecks of pink, teal, and lavender danced around the gorgeous stone. Even Rocket felt a great desire to take the stone.

In the final death throes of the being voice he uttered. "...I have seen what she will do with it...it is thing that nightmares are forge from..."

"Groot!" A voice tore through the reality and Rocket pitched forward.

Rocket was falling now end over end. The ground was rushing up to meet him. Then he felt the sudden stop, branches were digging into his back, arms, and legs. Rocket was coughing and breathing hard, trying to recover from the nightmare and the terror of falling. Rocket forced his brain to absorb as much of the information from the nightmare as he could.

Groot lowered him down, setting him in a dried up riverbed. Alicia was descending the side of the cliff in a quick but careful fashion. Groot was polite enough to offer her hand. Picking her up and lowering her to the bottom. Once she was on the ground, she was quickly at Rocket's side. Groot looked around and jumped from the tall ledge, landing in the dirt bed with a rumble. In no time he'd lumbered to the side of his friends.

Alicia was doing everything she could to sooth Rocket's hysterical state. He was speaking a mile a minute and the words were just getting lost to her. Quickly she touched his face and kissed it gently, trying to bring him back.

Her heart skipped a beat, when he looked into her eyes with his crazed gaze. "...the moon...it's a dead god..."

When Rocket had finished conveying his dream to Groot and Alicia, he just leaned back against her tiredly. His body hurt from head to toe, with the exception of his hand. He felt as it he had done a three day triathlon. Even in his tired state, he couldn't remain calm. Groot had been kind enough to make a hammock out of his limbs, so Alicia and he could relax. Groot and Alicia had been running around all morning looking for him. If Rocket hadn't screamed, they would have never found him. Alicia kissed the top of Rocket's head and hugged him close.

The whole story seemed like a lot for Alicia to take in, but there was no reason to think that Rocket would make something like that up. With everything she'd seen in her life, there was no way to assume it was just a dream either. Besides that Rocket wasn't crazy and in all the years she's known him, he'd never been a sleep walker.

With that they needed to plot their next course of action, luckily the energy source she'd picked up on, with her visor, was in the same location that Rocket believed he saw in the dream. That essentially made the choice for them easier. The problem was, how were they going to get down there. Groot had suggested going through the waterfall cave, there might be a way down, back there.

Alicia shuttered to think, that if the dream had been real, the waterfall was essentially the beings throat. Groot suggested that Alicia stay behind and try to find a way to signal for help, Rocket agreed, but found the idea easily vetoed. All three were going in, just in case there was something dangerous down there. They all agreed, safety first, and then recovering the stone second.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Tribunal for a Dead God

Groot insisted that he go in first. His argument was sound, if anyone or anything was waiting for them in the cave, he could slow them down before they past. Alicia went next, stating that with her headset she'd be able to map a direct path to the object, the stone. Rocket would bring up the rear, packing the fire power. Unfortunately since the crash, his ammo supply was limited. Hopefully there wasn't anything too terrible down in the cave.

Rocket checked his blaster once again to make sure it was fully loaded and the safety was off. He'd only done it about five times now, but he still wanted to make sure they were fully prepared. Once Groot was ready, he stepped over the smooth stones at the mouth of the dried up waterfall and into the cave. It was dark, and deep. The only sound that echoed up from deep inside was a soft dripping, what was actually dripping was a mystery, and Rocket decided he didn't really want to know.

Alicia gagged hard and covered her muzzle. "This is terrible, Gods how do you keep from throwing up?"

Rocket chuckled and looked around the small cave. "Remember the date with that space pirate you set me up with? He smelled a lot worse than this."

"No way, Gods, I don't think anything could smell as bad as this." Alicia looked around, her bug goggles glowing red against the darkness.

Rocket did have to agree that the smell was atrocious, it was so similar to how it was in his dream. Alicia panned around and looking down at the ground, trying to get enough of a read out on the cave. A flashing "Unknown" kept appearing before her eyes. This being was very old indeed, dated back before anyone kept records apparently.

"There should be a makeshift walkway to our left. I think it would be the esophagus if the being were humanoid." Alicia said stepping down on something, it popped and gooed out all over her boot.

Rocket aimed his blaster down at the ground trying to get a glimpse of what she stepped on. The item looked like a giant black pimple. There were some firm pieces amidst the goo that flowed out of it.

"What is it?" Alicia asked, trying to rub the goo off of her boot.

Rocket coughed and spit onto the ground. "I dunno, it looked like giant black pimple."

There was a deep throat swallow coming from Alicia's direction. "Oh my Gods, I'm so glad it's dark in here." She said fighting the urge to retch.

"I am Groot!" Their large tree friend stated as he pointed down and around a thick looking cave wall.

"Good job buddy. You don't think you could spare some light do you?" Rocket asked moving to stand near his friend.

"What do you think he's going to do, pop out a halogen light baby?" Alicia took a few steps back towards the pair.

"I am Groot!" He scoffed and shook his head.

"Alicia, babe. Watch and prepare to be amazed. Show her big guy." Rocket patted his friend on the leg.

Groot raised his hand up. A warm glow engulfed it, as it grew brighter, small glowing seed pods started floating out of his hand. Filling every inch of the air around them, illuminating the cave. Alicia stood perfectly still, her mouth hanging open. Even with the visor on, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Her hand searched around, taking Rocket's and pulling it close.

"It's so beautiful. Oh Groot you are the most magnificent thing...no I mean person I've ever met." A smile traced her lips as she found his face in the dark.

"I am Groot." Groot smiled back and bowed his head, before starting on down the narrow path.

"Easy big guy, she's spoken for." Rocket chuckled and waved Alicia on.

"What did he say?" Alicia asked as she stepped up close to Groot.

Rocket moved up to walk close behind her, his blaster out. "Oh you shouldn't worry about that at a time like this."

"It was something dirty wasn't it?" Alicia asked, her cheeks flushing under her glowing fur.

"I am Groot!" Groot sounded indignant as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"No that much you can rule out, Groot is a gentleman." Rocket chuckled. "His parents taught him the finer things in life, right buddy 'ol pal?" Rocket turned behind him looking up at the odd perfectly curved ceiling.

"I am Groot..." His friend said discouragingly.

"What is it?" Rocket asked turning around.

"There's a huge hole in this pathway. Gods only knows where it goes." Alicia said trying to look down the hole.

"I am Groot." He spoke softly as to not raise alarm, and pointed a long stick finger at the edge of the hole.

"Be very careful, there's something in here." Rocket said very quietly.

"The edges are jagged as if chewed through, or clawed. There's not enough saliva to gather data on what did it. This has been here a very long time." Alicia said, standing up and dusting her knees off.

"I am Groot..." Groot studied it closer and shook his head.

"You're right, it does look like a trap. Too bad we don't have time to play with whoever made it. Is there a way around?" Rocket asked to no one in particular.

"I hope so, or this is going to be a short trip." Alicia stated the obvious.

There was a long pause, beside the dripping coming from somewhere deep in the cave. The only sound they could hear was there own breathing. Alicia unclipped her crossbow from her hip and loaded a bolt into it. Not that she thought Rocket couldn't handle it, but a little more fire power never hurt.

Groot took a deep breath and sighed. "I am Groot..."

"Are you sure buddy?" Rocket asked, he could see it in his friend's eyes that he wasn't, but truth be told, there was no other way.

"What did he say Rocket? You know what? From now on, just tell me what he says so I don't have to keep asking 'What did he say' like a damn fool." Alicia snapped, her voice echoing all around them.

"Shh...he said he's going to help get us across and stay behind. While we're trying to find the stone, he's going to secure us a way back." Rocket looked back at his friend, who had already stretched his arm across the gap, making a zip line.

Rocket drew his 'dagger' and carefully cut off the piece of his leather armor that was protecting his tail. It was firm and strong enough to use on the makeshift zip line, or Groot line. Alicia followed Rocket's example and cut the sleeve off of her make shift kilt. _It was going to have to do,_ she thought and shook her head slowly.

"Alright, buddy ol' pal. You be careful okay. If things get too hairy, get out of here asap." Rocket sighed as he sheathed his 'dagger'.

"Thank you, you sweet sweet creature. Be safe, I hope to see you when we get back." Alicia said as she reached up and patted his legs.

"I am Groot." He smiled and shifting his head, telling them to get a move on.

Rocket looked at Alicia and cleared his throat.. "He said, he loves us and to be careful."

"That much I got." With that Alicia slide down the long zip line, her visor going crazy trying to suck up information as she went.

"I am Groot?" Groot whispered softly and glared at his little friend.

"I didn't have the heart to tell her buddy. Besides that, we all have a bad feeling about this place. We will be back I promise you." Rocket urged Groot, before sliding away into the darkness.

Unexpectedly Groot's arm came to an end, sending her falling into some sludge at the bottom of the walk way. It was only a few inches deep. But it was exceedingly cold and thick. It also reeked of decaying flora and fauna mixed together. The urge to throw up had passed a long time ago, but it was slowly working it's way back up into her throat. Alicia stepped out of the sludge onto what felt like a squishy patch of land. It was hard to tell what it was since Groot's light pods had dissipated this far down, so it was much darker at the bottom. Quickly she looked around, the visor could only take in her surrounding in the immediate vicinity. From what she could tell, she was it was a larger chamber. If this being had a human like body, than this could very well be a lung, but that was just speculation. When she panned around, her heart twinged with excitement. Before her, much closer than it had been before was the glowing power source. It seemed to be off to the left through a thick wall, and then down below. She was picking up a few more readings around that area. Some sort of biomass. Then it moved...A loud noise came from behind her.

Alicia was startled with the clatter of Rocket falling from Groot's arm into the sludge water. Quickly she turned around to see him struggling to get to his feet, flicking the mess off of him as quickly as he could. There was some swearing under his breath and some amount spitting that accompanied it. Alicia shivered as she fought back the want to throw up. Her stomach was already empty, there would be no use in throwing up her actual stomach.

"Jeez man, I had my mouth open and everything." Rocket looked around and the only thing he could see was Alicia's glowing form and her glowing red eye in the dark.

"Gods you scared the shit out of me." Alicia was panting heavily, trying to contain herself.

"Sorry about that, I didn't think it was going to end so flarking abruptly." Rocket spit a few more time. "Where the hell are we, it's so dark I can't even see my nose at the tip of my muzzle."

"I think we're in some kind of lung. If I'm correct in my assumption, which I really hope to the Gods that I am. If we can get through that far wall over there, the stone will be right below." Alicia was starting to get an antsy feeling inside.

"Great! Too bad we can't flarking see." Rocket snapped, as he knelt down touching the sludge.

Alicia grumbled and looked back up at the Grootline. "Groot, can I break off a piece of your arm to make a torch out of?"

Her voice echoed back up the rounded walkway. Rocket wiped around, stunned that she would even ask such a rude question. There was a long moment of silence before Groot opened his thin fingers started to glow. One by one a small supply of the glowing seed pods filled the air. It wasn't as much of a supply as it had been the first time, but it was enough to cast the room with a dim light.

The room was much smaller than she'd imagined. It looked as if the ceiling was sagging in the center threatening to come down, it was only being held in place by large branch looking things, that had long since dried up. At that moment she realized that yelling had been a severely stupid thing to have done. If those branches were to break, then the whole roof could collapse in on them. Rocket was still getting a closer look at the sludge. There was something alien about it, and yet familiar.

"What do you suppose it is?" Alicia asked as she tip-toed up behind him.

"I dunno, but once a long time ago. Drax and I were doing some bounty hunting. We were trapped in a cave full of these. Spider-ant-scorpion things. At one point we came across a room just like this. The floor was covered in liquid of this same viscosity. It was a different color though, but what it turned out to be was...amniotic fluid from egg sacs that were hanging on the ceiling." Rocket shuttered and stood up.

"Well I'm not getting any readings on any egg sacs or anything biological for that matter. Let's just retrieve this stone and get the flark out of here." There was as tremble in her voice as she moved off towards the wall that separated them from their prize.

Rocket followed closely, making sure to turn some circles. He didn't want anything getting the drop on them. The wall was something else all together. It was firm, yet slightly squishy to the touch. Whenever she pushed on it, it gave a little, seeping some of the dark liquid from it. They were going to have to cut through the wall, there was no way around it.

"Hand me your dagger Rocky, I'm going to attempt to cut through." Alicia turned around and looked at him.

"What? That sound like it will take forever." Rocket turned on his heels to touched the wall, grimacing as it gushed some of the fluid.

"Fine, do you have a better idea?" Alicia put her hands on her hips haughtily.

Rocket smirked. "Holy shit, I actually do have a better idea." Rocket shoved his blaster into the back of his trousers, slipping the double barreled atomizer from his shoulder.

"Alright, get back. I have no idea how or if this is going to work. But it has got to be faster then cutting our way through." Rocket explained as he took a few steps back from the wall.

Alicia moved to stand beside him, watching as he braced the stock of the impossibly large gun against his shoulder. He set his body and took aim. She could hear him breath in deeply his finger on the trigger. It depressed easily with a click, Alicia jolted and nothing happened.

"Oh, forgot to cock it." Rocket chuckled and pulled back the heavy slider, hearing a deep click and a soft hum.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Alicia forced a smile, although she wasn't happy about his flarking around, even if it was unintentional.

Rocket set up again and nodded as he pulled the trigger. There was a loud whvoop sound, a giant red projection the size of an Earth basketball left the barrel of the gun moving at a slow velocity towards it's target. Rocket was able to lower the gun and watched it creep along. His lips turned to a frown as he was not impressed. At least not until it hit. The wall disintegrated and too did the wall on the other side of it, opening up the second lung. A shock wave ruptured outward. Sending a tidal wave of the disgusting sludge into the air, picking up Rocket and Alicia as if they were rag dolls, casting them down to the ground into the puddle of sludge, before dousing them with the tidal wave of sludge. The light pods were doused as well, plunging them into darkness.

Alicia sat up, amazed that the ceiling hadn't come down on that one. Many of strange and dangerous things out there in this universe, but none scared her as much as that atomizer had. Rocket sat up and looked over to Alicia who was already scrambling to her feet. Her glowing lenses sparked and faded before they died. Her glowing fur was the only light source left in the room. Rocket could see her pull her helmet off and drop it onto the floor.

"Well, that was fun." Rocket said pushing himself up onto his feet, grabbing his atomizer on the way up.

Alicia voice snapped. "Put that flarking thing on your back and never use it again." There was a trembling undertone.

"Come on, admit it. You want to at least fire it once, right?" Rocket joked as he cocked the gun again, before slipping it over his shoulders.

"No, not in this lifetime, or the next one. What I want to do, is get the stone and get the hell out of here as fast as we can please." Alicia wasn't playing around anymore, the tone of her voice meant business.

Rocket watched as she passed through the room, standing at the edge of the giant hole Rocket had just made. There was fresh wave of stink washing over them coming from deep inside the hole, but something else. Something glowing. It was glowing orange. No it was the biomass reading that she'd picked up earlier on her headset. It lay right below the hole. The biomass was wrapped around the power source, not unlike covering a flashlight with a hand.

Rocket wasted no more time, he jumped down below landing onto the wet spongy surface.  
pitching forward onto it. It was warm to the touch. It was much larger than he'd predicted it to be. The warm light washing over his body as he climbed to his feet. Once Alicia was sure he'd landed safely, she followed him. Landing face down onto the wet pillow, scrambling to get to her feet. Now that they were in the open area, standing a top of this biomass. It swelled and then contracted filling the chamber with a heavy thump that echoed all around them.

"It's his heart, he's still alive." Rocket said quietly as he looked down at it.

"Oh my Gods...what have we done?" Alicia suddenly felt sick, sick from the guilt the was welling up inside of her.

"...welcome strange creatures..." A voice echoed through their heads, Alicia fell to her knee clutching her rounded ears.

"...no child do not be afraid..." The voice hummed inside of Alicia's head causing her to stop trembling. "...you have not done anything to me...that I have not caused myself...you are saving me."

Tears welled up in Alicia's eyes as she touched the slow beating heart below her. "No one deserves this."

"...so much compassion...for one so terrible as I...thank you...I feel my redemption has already been won...but time grows short..." The voice soothed both of their hearts.

"...listen to my final words...carry them with you...the devourers in black come...they are coming to claim what is left of me...severe my heart...do not let them have me...then take the stone...hide it far away from them...please...right my wrongs...give me peace..." The voice sounded as if it may start sobbing.

Alicia took the 'dagger' from Rocket's sheath and extended the blade. She hesitated a moment, trying to find herself. Trying to forgive herself for what she was about to do. Then she plunged the 'dagger' into the heart and cut downward. A scream erupted from far away, way inside the large expanse. The glow grew brighter and spilled out into the chamber. Rocket snatched a gaze around the huge chamber...there were black figures moving along the walls. Crawling on their hands and feet towards them, just like from his dreams. Scurrying across the ceiling towards them. Rocket pulled his blaster free and aimed at the beasts.

"Alicia honey, we're drawing a crowd, we gotta go." Rocket's voice was starting to panic. Rocket fired a few shot, the hit their targets, sending them plummeting downward into the abyss. Alicia hefted the stone from it's cradle and hugged it to her bosom. The heart beat one final time, shuttered and died.

"...thank you...my...friends..." Was the final whispering of the voice, the body all around them started to rumble.

Chunks of the ceiling were falling away, casting down the dark creatures that were scurrying to attack them. Alicia retracted the 'dagger' and tucked it into her kilt. Hugging the stone to her chest, she opened fire with her crossbow. Three bolts loaded, flew straight and true. Sticking the beasties to the ceiling. Rocket was blazing up several of the others. With the clip in his blaster spent, he reloaded and went back to work. _Sixty rounds, that's all I got_, he thought, but didn't have the heart to tell Alicia. She however was dealing with her own problem. Reloading a crossbow with one hand was impossible.

Rocket reached behind him and took the stone, cradling it to his chest, still firing one shot after another. "Share the load baby, isn't that what being a couple is all about."

Alicia quick loaded three more bolts and shifted around him, aiming for the ones that were closer, her arm around his neck. "Why Rocky, unless I'm mistaken..." she grunted and sent a boot into one that had climbed up the side of the heart. "I think you might be sweet on me."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." Rocket chuckled, stomping down on one of the dark creatures that was still moving.

"Too bad we were so hasty in our search for the stone..." Alicia shot the last bolt from her crossbow and started to reload again.

"Yeah in our rush we forgot to secure an escape route." Rocket watched her reload before passing the stone back to her, so that he could reload.

Neither of them wanted to accept that they were most certainly doomed. Maybe they just wanted to ride this last glory straight to hell. It didn't matter though. Rocket had found Alicia despite all the odds. Alicia was fighting back to back with the one she'd always loved. If they could overcome all of that, then maybe there was something to luck and chance.

Rocket slapped home his final clip, tucking the the blaster back into his pants. Trying to ignore the heat radiating from the barrel. He slid the shouldered double barreled atomizer down into his hand. _Sometimes you just have to make your own luck, or perhaps do something foolish_. Rocket thought. Alicia looked at Rocket, gripping the stone tighter. Again he shouldered the impossibly large weapon and fired it. Immediately lowering the atomizer to reload. Alicia protected him while he slid the two glowing blue cylinders into the chambers and cocking it hard. The cocking sound was so loud it echoed over the screams of the devourers.

The blast hit the far wall sending out its incredible shock wave. Thousands of the devours were either disintegrated by the initial blast, torn apart by the heat wave that came first, or thrown into the pit below by the powerful shock wave. It was truly a small victory to be celebrated, maybe if they got through this Rocket just might marry her. Alicia had run dry on bolts. She rocked her body back and threw her crossbow, knocking one of the creatures that was hanging below off.

"I'm out!" She called to him.

Rocket chuckled and handed her the large atomizer before he drew his blaster once again. "Yeah right, you probably threw your bow away because you wanted to fire my big ass gun."

Alicia passed the stone to Rocket who cradled it closely and took aim with the huge atomizer. "What can I say, I'm a girl who knows what she likes?"

Again there was a satisfying whvoop, when Alicia pulled the trigger. The projectile was sent off, she cocked the gun hard. _Only one shot left_, her mind screamed. The shock wave obliterated so many of the creatures, but there just seemed to be an impossible amount of them left. Alicia wiped her forehead and started to aim with the atomizer one final time.

One of the creatures dropped down from the ceiling onto Rocket pinning him to the ground. The large stone started rolling away. Alicia threw herself down upon it before it could roll away. A devourer took her weakened position as the perfect time to attack. It grabbed at her, trying to crush the life out of her.

It was the first time either of them had gotten an up close look at the creatures. The black humanoid body was covered in a bone exoskeleton. Long coarse hair poking out between the plates. It's heads was bird-like, long fleshy beaks that were sharp at the tip, a long thin tongue lashing out all around Rocket's head. It's eyes were large, milky white globes in it's head. Pale from being the cave for so long. Rocket hefted the creature up off of him, trying to put some distance between his face and it's wicked tongue. He could see small naked versions of the creatures crawling all over it's chest and stomach. Babies a dozen or more babies. Rocket grabbed one and pulled it free from the beast's scaly chest. The once white eyes started fill with blood and began attacking in a fury. It was threatening to crush Rocket beneath it. It's long bony fingers clawing holes into his arms drawing blood. Rocket arm was pinned so he couldn't aim his blaster. The heart was beginning to be swarmed. At any moment they would over taken and torn apart. This was it, the end for them.

"I...AM...GROOT!" Boomed a voice from above.

Long tendrils lashed out crazily. Groot whipped, and smashed as many of the creatures as he could, before reaching down with his other hand. He'd given a good slap to the creature that was grappling with Alicia. It's scrawny body flying through the air and into the abyss below. Alicia picked up the stone and smashed the skull of the creature that had Rocket pinned. It fell limply off and to the side of him.

Rocket sat up and climbed to his feet, firing crazily trying to gain some breathing room. His blaster clicked empty so he threw it in desperation. Groot growled heavily and scooped up his friends bringing them up and out of the hole. Instead of setting them down, he just lumbered on. If anything got in his way, he crushed it, kicked it, kneed it, and bashed it into paste. Rocket had never seen him move this fast before.

"Careful buddy, don't forget about the gap ahead!" Rocket screamed, while he was trying to stop the bleeding in his arm.

"I am Groot!" His voice boomed again as he jumped.

Rocket screamed in terror. "What do you mean, you got this!"

They landed on top of a large tree trunk that Groot had brought down into the cavern to cover the hole. Rocket just stared at the tree in surprise and slumped against Alicia chuckling to himself. Alicia lightly ran here fingers along Groot's arm. She had no words to express how she felt about him. Such a majestic being, who cared so much for her little raccoonoid. They continued thundering up the log until Groot jumped down onto the pathway again, it started crumbling behind him, pushing him to run faster. Then they were out into the sunlight, into the fresh air. Free of the terrible nightmare of the caves below. But something else was amiss.

The wind around them was a torrent, throw dead leaves, grass, and dust into the air. Rocket squinted and looked up, spotting a black shuttle craft. It was hovering over the area, before coming in for a landing on the soft dirt. When the hatch opened. Dr. Adams stood in the doorway with a goofy smile on his face, beckoning them inside. Groot was on it, he carried his precious cargo onto the shuttle setting them down carefully on the floor.

"Agent 4, put this in a cryo containment for study." Rocket said, passing of the baby devourer to him.

Agent 4 took the being and then jumped at the sight of it. It's naked form scrambled against his grip, visually giving him the willies. He picked up a metal object, that looked like a large thermos and dropped the baby devourer inside. There was a bright flash coming from the cylinder and the creature was frozen in cryo sleep. Alicia curled her nose and looked at Rocket, who shrugged and smirked.

"For study, we've got to make sure those things don't spread beyond this moon." His voice was weary, and he looked tired.

Alicia nodded, she knew that studying the creature might help them discover more about their race. But it might also unlock more information about the stone. Right now none of it would matter much if they didn't get out of there quickly. The ground was starting to shake harder. Giant cracks were webbing out across the ground, making it start to sink in.

Dr. Adams close the hatch and started back up towards the cockpit. "Get us out of here, there's some bad mojo going on here, man."

Agent 5 nodded and slowly pulled back on the thruster. The shuttle peeling away from the wet earth below. Rocket looked out the side window watching as the ground that they had just been on, fell in. Filling in the caves below, hopefully burying those creatures, buying some time before the devourers escaped. Rocket looked at Alicia who was cradling the stone to her chest as if it were a baby. She looked lost in a train of thought that was so deep.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Are you alright?"

"No, and don't think I will be for awhile." Alicia turned and looked at him, before resting her head against his. "I know what it's like to die. To feel release from a life of burden, worry, troubles, pain. I don't know why, but I feel a little jealous for him? Does that make me a terrible person?"

"No...I don't think it does. Facing off against mortality is always something we dread. I can't imagine facing, and then being reborn just to have to do it again." Rocket whispered softly, running his fingers along her neck softly.

Alicia closed her eyes and sighed deeply, his words soothing her. Rocket kissed her warm cheek and squeezed her tight. He'd not thought about it until now. Dying and going to the beyond was suppose to be a reward. If anyone had deserved that reward, it was Alicia. But the though of being forced to come back was a punishment he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The Unveiling

It seemed like forever had passed since they left the ominous moon behind. It had been a terrible place, full of darkness, full of nightmares. Every time Rocket closed his eyes, he couldn't help but see those dark creatures behind his eyes. Their long beaks and white milky eyes...The anxiety welled up inside of him, even by the thought of them. Something to his left clattered to the floor making him jump. Dr. Adams was busy at work on something, only sparing a second to bend down and pick up the item he dropped, before returning to work. Having him aboard the shuttle had helped immensely.

After Dr Adams administered medical treatment for their cuts and bruises. He'd ordered them to take showers in the small enclosed bathroom facilities. The good doctor offered them clean clothes, they were nothing more than sweat pants and tank tops, Rocket didn't mind one bit as long as they were clean. It felt so nice to be clean and smelling good, Rocket had almost forgotten what it was like to be clean, because it's been so long.

Dr. Adams saw the stone when they brought it aboard, but was polite enough not to mention it . He seemed only slightly interested in it anyhow. Groot urged Alicia to leave the stone in his care while she caught up on her sleep. He seemed more than happy to guard the precious stone. It was at that point the doctor had lost interest in the stone. Rocket couldn't be sure if he was just being polite, or was afraid of the guardian of the stone.

Alicia had laid down on one of the gurneys to see if she could get some sleep. Who could blame her after everything that she'd been through? Rocket sat on a bench nearby so he could keep and eye on her. Agent 4 stepped through the door that led to the cockpit. He moved up to sit next to Rocket, pulling his helmet off. The young Ar'leirian's face, didn't seem one day older from the last time Rocket had seen him. Anders was only a little taller now, but he filled out the black armor well. Rocket didn't hesitate to embraced his friend warmly. They had always been the closer, of the two brothers. They had also been the biggest of trouble makers back in the day.

So much time had passed between them that, they just played the game of questions. It was the same old same old questions back and forth, that two friends asked when it have been so long. Anders didn't mind though, this was the first time in a long while he was able to talk to someone so openly. Rocket remembered the day when Anders had joined the military. It was just a year and a half after Alastair had joined, much to Aisha's dismay. When she pleaded him not to go, Anders just spouted that brothers have to stick together no matter what. It may not have been the explanation Aisha wanted, but she accepted it as all mother's have to when their children was to leave the nest.

Anders went on to say, that six years after he'd joined. Alicia showed up one night while Alastair and he were on watch together in the Far Reach Nebula. They'd not believe it was her at first, because last they heard she'd passed on. After a time she proved to be who she said she was and convinced them that something big was coming. Shortly after that, the brother left the military and joined up with the Deadlights Society.

When Rocket asked about what the true purpose of DLS was, Anders just shrugged and shuffled his feet. Rocket knew something wasn't right with the whole group, now Anders was directly dodging his question and acting strangely. The conversation got awkward for a while, before Anders said he had to go. Anders hugged Rocket tightly, tighter than was necessary. Something opened in the pit of Rocket's stomach. The more and more he thought about the Deadlights, the less they made sense to him as a whole. Without even thinking about it he'd pulled out his pipe pouch and started setting himself with a smoke.

Dr. Adams passed through the small room without saying anything. He just retrieved a small bag from the shelf next to where Rocket was sitting and then walked away. The good doctor had been quiet for a while now. At least he'd been quiet to him. Earlier he and Groot had been talking an awful lot. Rocket assumed that it must be because Dr. Adams had never seen a living tree before, that happened a lot to his best bud. Rocket took a long drag off of his pipe before laying his head back against the cold metal wall of the shuttle. He blew an azure plume of smoke up into the ventilation system.

Everyone was right, the tobacco taste terrible. At lead it helped calm his mind. Maybe he was just being paranoid, it wouldn't be the first time. Just as it didn't surprise him that he would be acting this way. It wasn't every day that you got your brain picked by an eternal entity. Alicia started squirming uncomfortably out of the corner of his eye. _Poor kids probably having nightmares_, he thought shaking his head. _Why shouldn't she?_ He thought, that place down there had been hell.

There was a soft ping coming from the speakers overhead, Alastair's voice flowed smoothly through the shuttle. "We will be landing aboard the Mothership in T-minus 10 minutes. Dr. Adams, Agent 0 is requesting that you bring Agents 1, 19, and the Groot to him immediately upon landing. Also do not forget to bring the stone."

Dr. Adams nodded to no one in particular before going back to looking at something through a microscope. _So the boss wanted to see us_, Rocket thought as he took another long drag from his pipe. This would be the first time he got see Artemis the whole time he'd been with the Deadlights Society. What would it be like to see his father figure again? Rocket left those thoughts behind when he heard Alicia sitting up on the gurney next to him. When he looked over, she was leaning over rubbing her eyes. Rocket blushed and cleared his throat as he glanced down her shirt.

Alicia peered up at him and blushed, a warm green glow around her cheeks before sitting back. "There will be plenty of time for that later, mister."

"What?!" Rocket chuckled, trying to look innocent.

"You know what you did." She hopped down from the gurney, limping as she walked over to sit down next to him.

"Did you hurt your leg?" Rocket asked politely, offering a drag from his pipe.

Alicia turned down the offer cold, before rubbing the backs of her calf. "No, I'm just all stiff right now."

Rocket rested the pipe between his smiling lips. "You and me both, huh." He furrowed his eyebrows playfully at her.

"Would you stop it, we're going to meet my dad soon." Alicia giggled and slapped his shoulder.

Rocket winced and glared at her. "Ow! That is my Swiss cheese arm! Why do you suppose we're going to meet with him? Is it so important that we meet with him before we eat some food or have a nap?"

"He probably just wants to make sure that we're alright. Usually my meetings with him never last that long anyway. So I'm sure as soon as he sees us. He'll send us on our way." Alicia rubbed Rocket forearm softly.

"Well, I really hope so. I am very tired." Rocket took his final drag from his pipe, before he started tapping it out.

Rocket watched her out of the corner of his eye. She looked alright on the surface, but he knew something else was going on inside. For a moment he thought about bringing up the bad feeling he was having, but the look on her face told him she wouldn't want to hear it. For now he would shoulder his concern and be there to support her, if she needed it. Rocket tucked his pouch away into one of his pockets.

The shuttle eased into the bay, landing gently onto the metal floor. Dr. Adams opened up the hatch and started ushering people out one by one. Groot was first one out carrying the stone with him. Rocket came out next, hand in hand with Alicia. Alistair after them, and bringing up the rear was Anders.

Rocket looked around the shuttle bay in amazement. It was the size of four sports stadiums stack on top of one another. All around him were multiple Warships, Battle Cruisers, Jump Freighters, Personnel Ferries, and Shuttles all docked and well maintained. If this was the docking bay, than the rest of the Mothership must be enormous. Largest ship in the galaxy even. Maybe even the size of a planet itself. _Where would Artemis have gotten the resources to build this monstrosity?_ Rocket thought as he moved through the wide expanse, looking around. Everything was just starting to raise more questions. There were Agents all around them. Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of them. Why did the Deadlights Society need him at all, when they already had an army of this size?

"Feel free to take these three to see Agent 0." Alastair said, as he started unloading some of the supplies from the shuttle.

"You know what man? I'm in the middle of something here right now. I can't really walk away from. Why don't you and Agent 4 take them for me? If Agent 0 asks, tell him to contact me on my headset and I'll fill him in on why I couldn't do it, man." Dr. Adams stated before heading back into the shuttle.

"I don't think Agent 0 is going to like that though." Anders slumped his shoulders and sighs.

"Nah I'm sure it will be fine. I'll talk to my father if he really has a problem with it." Alicia said squeezing Rocket's hand.

With a surprising amount of strength she pulled him along. Groot slowly lumbered up behind them. Alastair hurrying to the front of the line, with Anders bringing up the rear. Dr. Adams watched them as they went. He waited until they'd all climbed into the elevator, before he smirk and started putting the equipment back aboard the shuttle.

"Goobers, all of them." He mumbled to himself.

It was very cramped inside the elevator. With Rocket, Alicia, and Groot, there was Anders and Alastair and two small Xandarian communications officers. Alicia was pressed tightly against Rocket, his back was wedged against Groot, who was slightly bent over. The elevator was packed tightly and the fact that it was climbing so slowly made the trip almost unbearable. It also didn't help that the two communications officers were talking a mile a minute. Rocket did what he could to try and block them out, but somehow their voices managed to pierce all of his mental defenses.

"Oh my Gods Della! Did you hear that we lost communications with Warship Zeta?" The taller Xander woman spoke, her orange hair was cropped tight under her beret.

"No way, are you serious?" The shorter one, Della who had black hair with purple bangs.

"Yeah. There was a strange transmission coming from them, and then it cut out, nothing." The taller, orange haired girl said.

Rocket rolled his eyes and groaned quietly, Alicia hugged his arm and mouthed the words. 'Be nice' to him.

Della ran her fingers through her hair, slapping Rocket in the face with it. "You know Shil, I heard about that. I heard that Agent 0 was so angry. I was sure my whole division was going to be vaporized."

"Dr. Adams told me, he's putting together a small group of people to investigate the ships last known location. Hopefully no one will need his medical expertise." Della responded giving her nails a quick look over.

"If you ask me that guy is a creeper. There are an awful lot of pots he has his hands in." Shil giggled and shifted, bumping against Groot.

Finally the elevator came to a stop. The pair of communication officers shuffled out and on their merry ways as soon as the doors were open. The doors closed again, the elevator resumed climbing again. It was nice to have the additional room in the tiny box. Rocket and Alicia moved to stand where the Xandarian girls had been standing. Groot was able to shift away from Alastair and Anders, giving them more room.

Anders shook his head slowly. "Talk talk talk, I wish they had to wear these visors like we do. Could you imagine being able to speak so freely." There was a hint of jealousy in his voice.

Alastair gripped his little brother's shoulder and squeezed. "Easy, don't get your feathers all ruffled. I'm sure they didn't mean Dr. Adams any harm."

The brothers fell silent again. It was painfully quiet in the elevator. The only noise was the soft hum of the gears above them. This elevator ride couldn't be longer. Rocket was starting to think he was in some kind of horror movie. The kind where the elevator reached the top floor. The doors would open into some kind of fiery portal to hell. A demon maniac screaming from the other side about how much he wishes they could join him, right before he pulled them in. Rocket jolted suddenly and looked up at Alicia. A smiles was playing across her lips as she pushed her nose to his cheek.

"You were sleeping standing up. Quite impressive." She whispered, Anders and Alastair both exchanged a quiet chuckle.

"I'm a raccoonoid of many special talents." Rocket joined into the chuckle, even Groot chuckled.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened into a large dark chamber. They all filed out of the elevator almost in the same order as that they had gotten on. The only difference now was Groot was in the back, which worked well for everyone since he was so large and hard to see around. Groot tucked the blinding stone behind his back. It was so bright in the dark room, that it lit the entirety of the corner of the room. Alicia's cocked her head to the side before stepping away from the group, her glowing fur cast a light green reflection against the cold metal floor.

"Father, are you here?" Her voice was soft and echoed into the farthest reaches of the walls.

"Lights up thirty percent." A horribly distorted voice called out.

Above them three rows of lights clicked on, casting the room in a dim light. There was a large bulbous thing, or person that was lounging in a large bowl shaped chair. The face of the being was terrifying to look at. Rocket couldn't even tell what it had been. The white fur seemed to be stretched beyond taut. So much so that the fur just seemed blotchy all over a sickly gray skin. There were two empty eye sockets, no wait...there were eyes in the sockets. They'd just become milky white pools that blended into the fur. Something flashed inside his head, Rocket gasped and backed up against Groot roughly, he'd hit so hard that he almost pitched backward onto his backside. Groot reached down and stabilized him with one sturdy hand.

"Father? Are you alright, you look so pale." Alicia's tone sounded shaken.

The cold gaze fell upon her. "Yes, I was just having a lengthy discussion with your mother."

Alicia stiffened and cleared her throat. "I hope it was nice talk father." Rocket could tell she was uncomfortable with this train of thought.

"Look who I've brought with me. It's Rocket." Alicia turned and looked at Rocket, whose face was bathed in terror.

"I see him, good job my on retrieving the stone boy. I knew my faith was well placed in you." He coughed heavily, greasy black fluid dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Rocket couldn't bring himself to say anything, instead he looked away. If this thing was Artemis, the man that he once felt was his father, then Rocket was the Pope. Artemis didn't really exist anymore in that body. There was something terribly wrong with, with all of this. All the pieces were there, he just couldn't get his weary mind around to put them together.

"Rocket, don't be shy, it's dad." Alicia tried to reassure him.

"Don't worry about him my child. He looks weary, gaunt, perhaps he needs rest. Bring me the stone and you can all go to your rooms to rest." His unseeing gaze drifted from Rocket to Groot.

Groot clutched the stone tighter, but didn't move beyond that, he just looked down at the pitiful creature. "I am Groot!"

Rocket heart pushed into is throat as he turned and looked at his friend Groot, then back to Artemis. All at once the pieces seemed to fall into place. Rocket could see the big picture. The dead god wanted them to protect the stone from the devourers in black. Rocket thought that he had meant the things down in the cave were the devourers. No...Groot was right, how had he figured it out.

"Get away from him Alicia!" Rocket lurched forward, grabbing her forearm and pulling her back. "He's the devourer, the one the god warned us about. They all are, the Deadlights Societies are the devourers, looking for the stone. We can't let them have it."

Alicia looked into Rocket's eyes, and knew what he was saying was true. "Is that truth father?"

There was a long moment of silence in the room. Alastair and Anders slowly backed away from the three of them. They both drew their weapons and activated their helmets. Alicia felt her heart sink into her stomach. _How could this be true, how could she not have seen this coming?_ Alicia thought, she hugged her body against the impending chill moving through her. It didn't seem possible, the Silver Surfer had put her in charge of protecting the galaxy. Instead she'd nearly handed the key to their destruction right to him. The figure that was once her father hovered around the room in his chair.

"It is true my child, all of it." The bloated figure rotated around to face her, despite the fact that he couldn't see her.

"Why? What did you hope to gain from betraying me?" Alicia felt a pain in her heart, her body going limp, going numb.

"Everything! Let me tell you a story, just one more bedtime story for old time sake. Before you found me, I'd gotten in contact with the most unusual being. A majestic goddess from another dimension, named Gul'loth the Rightous. She was beautiful and knew so much. She told me that you were coming to rescue me, that through you. Our destinies would be won." He coughed out hard and cleared this throat before continuing his story.

"Then she told me of the Silver Surfer Herald to Galactic, a distance brethren to her. Then she told me of Deadlights Society, in that name I would find my reward. We spent hours talking about various things. I told her about your mother. She sympathized, telling me that she knew that pain, she knew what it was like to lose someone she loved. We created a bond, she taught me how to augment this chair so I could tap it's infinite power..." Artemis was interrupted by Rocket.

"Alicia we don't have time for this, we need to go, now." His voice sounded urgent.

"Don't interrupt me!" Artemis yelled at the top of his lungs spattering black goo onto him and the floor in front of him. "She said that this chair would be a great asset when we went forward with her plan. All I had to do was gather the stone for her. It was the last thing that her dying love ever made for her. If I did it, she would give me...give me back my love."

Artemis pushed a button on the console to his right. Alicia jolted as something in the room clicked, the sound of hydraulics compressing. Two metal panels on the floor slid away and a beautifully decorated ivory table rose up. Atop the table was a beautiful red satin pad, with the skeletal remains of an Ar'Leirian resting comfortably on the pad. Alicia gripped her stomach and shook her head. Rocket stepped forward, wrapping his arm across her shoulders. Groot's mouth hung open as a soft moan escaping.

"No...no...mother!" Tears were welling up in her eyes, slowly sliding through the fur on her cheeks.

Artemis ignored the tears of his daughter, continuing his story. "She knew that you would make me the leader of the Deadlights Society, and that you would trust me completely, since I was your dear old dad. I would send you out to find someone I knew I could trust to locate the stone. The person who was devious, sly, cunning, and desired wealth and power more than anything. If that didn't entice him, then perhaps his one true love could dupe him into it."

Alicia slowly looked at shaking her head. "I'm sorry..."

Rocket smiled and touched her cheek softly. "Sounds like a load of shit to me. You couldn't have predicted that we would have been shot down over that moon. No one could have predicted that."

"Oh I couldn't, could I?" Artemis mumbled slowly. "I rule the nanomachines that inhabit your clothing, your visors, even the ones that are inside of you. I controlled every move she made. Do you think my daughter would be stupid enough to fly directly into the path of a ripper cannon. Her military training wouldn't have permitted it. No it was me! I just mentally suggested it to her and the nanomites made it happen." There was a menacing tone in his voice.

"Sounds a lot like hokey religions and ancient artifacts to me, you tub of shit." Rocket held his hand out to Groot.

"I am Groot!" He grunted and handed Rocket the double barrel atomizer.

"Nothing can beat a good blaster by your side." Rocket took aim at Artemis.

"Fool!" Artemis spit angrily.

Everything slowed down around them, Alicia turned on her heels to look at Rocket. Who was slowly easing back the trigger on the atomizer. Then there was a loud wet pop and a blood curdling scream. At first she couldn't tell what happened, but then it all came to her, Rocket's right arm, from the elbow down exploded. Spraying a fountain of blood everywhere. The atomizer tumbled from his hands to clatter on the floor in a puddle of crimson blood. Rocket eyes wide and horrified his screams growing higher in pitch as he groped around for the limb that was no longer there. Rocket's legs gave way under him as he fell to his back, covering the gushing nub. Agent 4 reached out to him, but his brother pulled him back, shaking his head. Panic was washing over Rocket, he was slipping into shock.

Time sped back up again. Groot was on the move. He crouched down letting the stone rest at his feet. Quickly Groot wrapped a rubbery tendril around Rocket's arm, tightening it until the blood stopped flowing, before tied it off. Alicia couldn't see what he was pulling out from under a piece of his bark at first, but he produced a syringe of clear liquid that he used to inject Rocket with. Rocket started to calm down. His heart slowing, his breathing becoming more normal, finally he just lay back in a calm, meditative state.

"I see that we're no longer bullshitting are we?" Artemis said softly, holding his hand out. "Give me the stone."

Alicia picked up the atomizer and stood between Groot and Artemis. "If you want it, you'll have to go through me."

"You're as much a fool as he is, so be it." Artemis growled out and reached for her, but nothing happened.

Alicia winced and covered her face, waiting for the pain to come, but indeed nothing happened. She lowered her hands and looked up at the confused mass that use to be her father's face.

"I don't understand, why aren't you writhing in pain?" Artemis was blubbering mad. "Those clothes, where did you get them? I can see the nanomites in them, but they will not heed my command."

_Dr. Adams, he'd known all about this somehow,_ Rocket thought as he smiled weakly up at Groot. Groot looked down at Rocket and smiled back, letting him know that everything was going to be alright. _That quack doctor is trying to save the day._ Rocket was trying to say to Groot, but he could make the words come out of his mouth. Artemis started to laugh a sickly, festering laugh. Black goo bubbling up out of him mouth with each roll in his laugh.

"There are other ways to take care of you. Agents 4 and 5, take her weapon!" Artemis leaned back in his chair watching as his two nephews moved into position to slaughter Alicia.

"Don't you dare boys." Aisha came running up behind Groot, snagging two items from his back on the way passed.

Quickly she shuffled the items so that she would have one in each hand. She ducked and moved planting both of the devices onto her sons. There was a heavy pop and a crackling sound of electricity surging through Anders and Alastair, both of them dropping to the ground unconscious. Aisha rose up and turned to look into Artemis's dead eyes.

Rocket gazed at her, she looked different now, than she had when they last met. Younger, stronger, in better shape, no doubt she'd been given the nanomite technology. It had changed her entire physical make up. _Only the best for his baby sister, _Rocket thought. He would have believe that she'd found the fountain of youth, if it wouldn't have been for the light wrinkles on her face, and the gray flecks of fur peppered throughout the gold.

"I have not lived this long to see my brother become evil. And for what? A dream, a fantasy of having your wife back. She is dead, dead, dead! To bring her back now would dishonor her, her memory, and dishonor everything you stand for. Do you think she wants to see you like this? A disgusting blob, more machine than man. You are sick, you make me sick." Aisha's voice was spiteful, and damning.

Artemis flailed around, his anger welling inside of him with every word his sister spoke. A white hot rage washed over him. He reached out mentally grabbing hold of the nanomites inside of her. Her body lifting up off the floor. Aisha winced and moaned as something was vibrating inside of her. Something was happening burning her, something invisible to the eyes. Aisha's moans became screams. She was fighting against some invisible enemy. Small red bumps started appearing all over her body. Her nanomites were fighting to get out, destroying her from the inside. Alicia covered her ears, unable to stand the horrible screaming.

In the confusion another small Agent moved up from behind Groot grabbing the stone and darting away before the large tree could react. In the same fluid motion the small Agent toss the stone in the air. Artemis gaze moved away from Aisha, dropping her to the floor in a heap. His stubby hand snatching out, to catch the stone as it sailed over. He rolled his blob head back laughing triumphantly. The sickly sound echoing through the chamber. Groot looked down at Rocket, his face was bent in sadness.

Rocket reached up with his one good hand and stroked his friend's face. "You did your best, buddy 'ol pal."

Artemis swoop down next the skeletal remains of his wife on the table. "My love, come back to me." He raised the stone high above his head and thrust it down into the chest cavity of the skeleton.

"NO!" Alicia screamed and the room was filled with a crystal light, brighter than any stun grenade Rocket had seen, it was blinding and hot.

The forces of the blast pushed Alicia off her feet, onto her back on the floor. She watched in horror as the skeletal arms reached up, hugging the stone tightly as if it were her child. Bit by bit it was becoming flesh again. Blood, muscle, sinew was appearing from out of the stone itself. Growing into something terrible. Once the figure started taking shape, Rocket recognize the face from so many pictures he'd seen from the past. Alexandra, Alicia's mother. Alicia saw it too, deep inside of her chest there was a pain that she'd never experienced. It was a pain that drained all the energy out of her. _How could her father do this?_, she asked herself, before succumbing to the weakness and fall onto her back defeated.

"We gotta go buddy." Rocket whispered, gripping his friend's chest.

Groot moved from his spot on the floor, picking up the atomizer. It looked so small in his large hands. He aimed it past Artemis and fired. The whvoop sound was lost in the whirling tundra of white noise coming from Alexandra's rebirth. The slow moving projectile was on it's way towards the wall. The red ball shown up in contrast to the white hot light. It couldn't be moving any slower. Artemis turned and watched as the red ball slid through the air. Groot lashed out quickly like he had multiple arms. Gathering up all of the people he had been instructed too. Rocket, Alicia, Aisha, Anders, and Alastair. He pulled them tightly to his chest and started growing a shield around them. Alicia saw out of the corner of her eye, her mother glaring at her. But it wasn't her mother at all. It was something all together evil. The shield Groot had been making, closed around her like a hug.

The projectile hit the wall and exploded outward in a spectacular display. It opened the chamber to space. The vacuum sucking everyone and everything towards the hole. Artemis wedge himself against the wall, the force of the suction pulling the last bit of flesh from his globules face. Underneath was a series of wires and hoses that made up the shape of his once face. Alexandra waved her hands over her head conjuring a shield of dark matter that protected her from flying objects and kept her planted in her place. Groot just let himself be taken, being pulled out into space. He exhaled all of his oxygen into the ball shield that he'd made for his friends. All he had to do now was remain calm. Ice was starting to form on his bark skin, cracks were spidering throughout his body. It was more painful than Groot had ever felt before. But he had to keep it together for his friend's sake.

Just as his vision was slowly growing darker, and the end was upon him. A shuttle appeared as if out of nowhere, the hatch opened quickly and the vessel back up, scooping up the Groot life pod. No sooner had they got into the shuttle, then the hatch closed, and it jumped to faster than light speed. They had escaped the Mothership. _But at what cost_, Groot thought.

Inside the shuttle, Groot was groaning and flailing at the freezing pain moving through him. He gasped up the recycled oxygen, pulling it into his system. The dry frozen bark flaked off, the better he was starting to feel. After a moment Groot's branches fell away spilling his precious cargo onto the floor in a heap.

The cockpit door slid open and Dr Adams stepped through. Two others stepped into the room behind him. It was the two Xandarian communications officers from the elevator. They seemed more serious and less chatty. They started to work on treating Groot's down friends.

"I am Groot!" Groot said with a hint of panic in his voice.

Dr. Adams smiled warmly and nodded. "Don't worry my friend, they're in good hands. I will do everything I can to make them well again, you have my word on it, big dude."

"I am Groot..." His tone was sad, cracking as if he were going to cry.

There was an endearing smile on the chubby man's face when he looked at Groot. "No, you did good my friend. You saved them, that is all anyone could have asked for." Dr. Adams touched the side of Groot's head. "Now, you get some sleep, and leave the rest to me and my people, doctor's orders."

"I.a.m.g.r.o.o.t..." He moaned out and lay back on the floor.

Groot was too tired to move from where he lay. His body ached all over and he was indeed so tired. Maybe when he woke up, he'd be feeling much better...The last thing he saw before his eyes closed, was Rocket smiling at him, raising his nub as if to give him a thumbs up.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Friends

Cool air filtered all around the large room. The florescence lights in the ceiling were turned low, to help keep his patients calm. It was the busiest Dr. Adams had ever seen the sick bay at one time. He took a long sip off of his dark mint tea recounting the number of patients he had now. Alastair lay unconscious on bed six with head trauma falling on the floor. His nanomite reprogramming was in full swing. The same for his younger brother Anders on bed seven. They had been the easiest to stabilize.

In bed eight was a Krylonian woman that had just been rescued earlier that day, by Agent 12. She was caught in a crossfire, between Nova Corps and a group of underworld thugs. The hole in her chest had presented a little difficulty to patch up. Deadlights Society didn't have her name on file just yet. But they had pushed forward for her to have the nanomite modification. Dr. Adams of course did the modification with reprogrammed nanomites. In truth the only reason she was even on the ship, was because this was where she was recovering when Dr. Adams highjacked the Warship.

Rocket was laying in bed two in critical condition. The nub that use to be his right arm was packed tightly into a cryo tube while another arm was being fashioned for him. Dr. Adams assured him, that once the backup nanomites had been reprogrammed, they could get started on crafting him a new arm. Alicia lay on bed three. There was nothing physically wrong with her, she just wasn't responding to anything he did. She wouldn't eat, drink, talk, nothing. She just laid there with a glazed look in her eyes. Dr. Adams speculated that it may be a broken heart. Her father turned against her after everything Alicia had done. It was terrible.

In bed one was Aisha, she had suffered the worse of it. Artemis had turned her nanomites against her. They had caused a large amount of internal bleeding. It would have been an instantaneous death, if Artemis hadn't been distracted and released her before any further damage had been done. Still the damage had been severe. She was in critical condition, but only barely. Dr. Adams didn't foresee her living through the night. If she did however, her nanomites should be reprogrammed soon. Once they were back online, they could repair her.

"I am Groot..." A deep voice whispered from behind him.

Dr. Adams turned around startled, but softened into a smile. "Hello my friend. It's a sincere bummer that we weren't able to recover the stone, dude."

"I...am...groot..." Groot hung his head sadly.

"Don't blame yourself my friend, it happens. Now we need to put together a plan of attack. I guess for now we just try to build up our ranks and strike back before crap gets too much more out of hand." Dr. Adams smiled in spite of the fact.

"I...am Groot." The large tree stated rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sure, you don't have to be sick to be in here, man. Just, you know try to keep it down, while they're sleeping, alright big guy." Dr. Adams gave the huge tree a shoulder pat before walking towards his office.

Groot slowly and quietly walked around the room. His dark eyes taking in everything that he saw. There was a lot of stuff he didn't understand about this room, about the things going on in the galaxy. What he'd seen earlier with Artemis and the stone, it was a frightening thing to him. Could someone love another person to the point of forsaking others?

Groot looked down at the two brothers that he'd never met before. Why had Dr. Adams wanted them saved? He couldn't even venture a guess. They'd tried to kill his new ward, his friend, and himself. Were they not evil? Without knowing them, Groot could feel the good in them. They lay still sleeping on the cold medical room bed. Groot didn't understand why, he just wanted to help them. He wanted to help them all. But how? He closed his eyes and thought really hard. Flowers, roses starting sprouting all over his body. Big, beautiful roses of rainbow colors. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Gifts for his friends to help their speedy recovery.

One by one Groot pulled the flowers free from his body. He read the names on the charts. A warm orange rose for the young and fiery Anders. A cool blue rose for the level headed older brother Alastair. A salmon colored rose for the Krylonian girl, who Groot named Stormy because of her wind swept hair. A purple rose for Aisha, who had been so brave to stand up to her brother. A pink rose for his newest ward Alicia, because she beautiful and kind. And a red rose for his dearest friend Rocket. Could someone love another person to the point of forsaking others? Groot smiled as he looked at his dearest friend's sleeping face. The answer was yes.

Dr. Adams walked out of his office and looked around the room with a smile on his face. "Wow, doling out the love. I dig it man."

Groot smiled warmly and held out a yellow rose to Dr. Adams. "I am Groot."

"Thank you man, I love it...you know this is giving me a great idea. Maybe we can name our new group after these flowers, man. Like we can call ourselves the Flower children or Dolin' Out Some Love. You know something like that." Dr. Adams tugged on Groot's arm.

Groot shrugged and smiled. "I am...Groot!" Lightly patting the good doctor on his stomach with the back of his hand.

Dr. Adams agreed before smelling his flower. "Knights of the Rose huh? Not bad, not bad at all man. I can dig it."


	12. Epilogue and Bonus Chapter

Epilogue

The only light that filtered into the large room, came from the large window at the side of the chamber. Stars, planets, nebulas glistened in the black void of space. Gul'loth, no not Gul'loth anymore. She would be known as Alexandra, the Ar'Leirian war hero. She was enjoying her new body, waiting so long for this sensation of being alive. To breath the air of this dimension. Millions of years she's searched for someone foolish enough to give her the power to make the jump. Unfortunately the fool had only wanted her there, because he believed that she could bring back his dead wife. In a manner of speaking Gul'loth had brought her back, better than every, in her opinion.

The bed clothes rustled under her, as she got to her feet. It was cold in the vast chamber. The cool recycled air flowed over her svelte body from the vents overhead. The silky robe clung to her taut nipples, a sensation she's not had in forever. The fabric draped over her new form leaving little to the imagination. _Alexandra, didn't mind being the focal point of desire after all, _she thought giggling to herself. It just made it easier to seduce them, bring them close. Then when they were done, she would devour them. It was a rule she'd learned long ago. _Eat or be eaten, I am just fortunate for that I can have both_. Another cruel giggle moved through her.

Quietly she padded over to stand in front of the window. The cold, smooth metal floor soothed her hot paw pads. Her dark red eyes traced along the innumerable stars. So many of them inhabited. So much food to take in. It was going to be difficult at first, with her in her weakened state. She'd not expected the transformation to use up so much of energy stored in the stone. I didn't matter though. She had an army now, an armada. One by one the third world planets would fall. Once she'd taken enough power, grown stronger, then she would focus her energies on the larger planets. It was a perfect plan. The door at the side of the room chimed bringing her back from her thoughts.

Gracefully she turned, the robe fluttering out as she did. "Enter."

Alexandra's voice was lovely, sweet and creamy like melted chocolate. It was so inviting. Many couldn't help but to be drawn to it. The door slid open and an Agent marched into the room. The thin red band on his helmet was the only thing that showed up in the dark room. Alexandra hadn't been expecting any visitors. Not that she minded one bit, it was always good to have company.

"Ma'am, Agent 12 reporting. Agent 0 requested that I deliver this tablet to you. The information you request has been installed on it for your review." The large stocky Agent seemed nervous.

At first Alexandra had thought that the Agent might have been present earlier in the main hall to witness her stunning entrance. It was so hard to tell the Agents apart, since they were always wearing their armor. It mattered little anyway. She was sure that in a ship of this size, word traveled fast. Alexandra smiled warmly offering a curtsy to him. Pulling her robe outward on either side as if it were a dress. In truth she was offering the young male a peak at her treasure, hoping that the youth would be persuaded. Agent 12 cleared and throat and averted his gaze. Alexandra shook her head as if she were disappointed, before walking over to her bed, making sure she added plenty of sway in her wide hips. Playfully she turned and flopped down on the bed, letting the soft glow from the large window lay across her body. Agent 12 said nothing, he just squirmed and walked over to her, holding out the data pad.

"If you would take this. I can be on my way, so you can have some privacy." His robotic voice was trembling.

Alexandra's bright red eyes narrowed, her smile not losing one ounce of charm. "Oh, I don't want privacy, I'd like something to eat."

Agent 12 sighed and nodded slowly. "Uhm yes, if you tell me what you want. I can go get it for you from the kitchen. Anything at all. You can order anything and I'll make it happen."

Alexandra could sense that he was losing his composure, and she liked it. "I'm no sure. Why don't sit down here and tell me what your specialties are?" She patted the bed next to her.

"I'm not allowed to ma'am. Agent 0 said I should not be in here longer than absolutely possible." Agent 12 felt like he was going to start hyperventilating.

"Oh phooey, how is he going to know how long you stay?" She asked playfully, her fingers playing with the wrap around her waist, pulling on it so it fell away.

Agent 12 coughed and looked away. "When we wear our headsets. He sees and hears everything that goes on."

"Oh come now, just take your helmet off and sit right down with me." Her voice was soothing. "You wouldn't want to disappoint me would you."

Agent 12 pulled his helmet off and tucked it under his arm, before sitting down next to her nervously. "No, I would never disappoint a lady."

Alexandra stood up on the bed, so she could be at eye level with Agent 12. "Aw, you're just a good boy aren't you." She cooed at him, pressing her body against him.

Agent 12 was trembling against her, to feel that he was so uncomfortable, so scared of her was turning her on. "Don't be frightened, I don't bite...hard."

"I...I...just don't want to get in trouble ma'am." The big blue idiot looked away from her again.

"Oh okay, well I won't keep you then. Since you're going, do you think you could bring me a well aged bottle of wine?" Her breath was warm against his face.

"Absolutely ma'am, what age and color would you want?" He snapped around to look at her, eager to please and be on his way.

Alexandra slipped out of her night gown letting it fall to the bed around her feet. "Oh, I don't know, how old are you?"

"I don't understand ma'am!" Agent 12 bit his bottom lip and started to shake again.

"Oh never you mind!" Her voice rumbled from deep inside of her as she opened her mouth wide.

Her once short muzzle had grown long and edged. Several rows of pointy teeth lined her dark gums. Agent 12 screamed, but was silence with a long finger claw stabbing through his windpipe, dousing her naked body with his blood. She would have giggled gleefully, if she hadn't been in mid feeding. The only noise he could make now, was the bubbling and gurgling of drowning in his own blood. Alexandra bit down onto his head, her teeth sinking into the flesh, piercing the bone, drawing forth his life essences into her. His body draining, much the same as a juice pouch.

It was over in a matter of seconds. Her teeth retracted into her gum, her face returning to normal. Agent 12 was nothing more than a drained husk. His complexion was no different than the texture of beef jerky. Alexandra lightly pushed his corpse off of her bed, hearing it hit the floor in a crusty crunch.

"I hope you don't mind..." Her sensual tone had returned. "I'm not much of a cuddler afterward."

She giggled and looked down at her body, covered in his blood. Little by little, finger full by finger full she licked it off of her body. A pleasant mmm sound following each bite she got. When she was satisfied, she fell back onto the bed rubbing her tummy. _That was a good snack,_ she thought to herself as she felt around the bed clothes for the tablet. The bright LCD monitor came up. It was a huge list of all the planets. Their populations, their class, their worth. Some even had a special note by them if there was something unique about them. One in particular caught her eye.

"Earth...Tera. Population: 7,235,670,325. Oh my a buffet to be sure. Note: 15% Ratio of super humans." Her pink tongue glided across her lips. "Super humans, oh that would make them the fioe gras of the galaxy, my what a treat."

Alexandra dropped the tablet on the bed next to her, and lay out looking up at the ceiling. "So much food, so little time." She whispered to no one in particular, before she started humming a soothing tune.

Bonus Chapter

Meanwhile Part 2

Sabina sat at the edge of the bed. It was comfortable and soft against her bare backside. Periodically she would look over at the clock and count the time that she'd been waiting for the funny, furry stranger she'd met on the street. Such a nice unique individual, she mused. Paid her triple the nightly rate, upfront to boot. Then turned around and let her have the keys to his apartment, such a sweetie.

Any normal prostitute would have taken this as a sign of bad things to come. What if he was a sicko, looking for terrible unspeakable pleasures? What if just wanted to kill her and wear her flesh? That kind of thing didn't bother her much, she like to think that her Krylonian blood gave her the ability to read people better than that. Other prostitutes would have just taken the money and run, but she didn't believe in that either. One of two things could happen after an encounter like she had with the little gentleman. One, what if he turned out to be a nice guy and wanted to take her away from her life of sexual servitude. It became ever prostitute's dream at one point or another, thanks to the old Earth vid Pretty Woman. The second option wasn't as pleasant. Sabina had seen that the stranger was well armed, and had the money to pay her upfront. Two main trade marks of a bounty hunter, which made their fortunes hunting down criminals. If she took the units and ran, finding a prostitute on Knowhere would be a piece of cake for him.

So the type of prostitute that Sabina was, was the type that watched and waited. And boy did she wait. Sabina had indulged in some very nice things while she stayed at his apartment. A hot shower. A nice spin in the hot tub on the deck. Watching some of the vid, he had. Playing some of his video games. Wearing all his clothes, which was odd to her, because a lot of the clothes wouldn't fit such a little guy. Granted she wasn't one to ask questions, whatever the funny furry sweetheart wanted to do in her spare time, was her business. She promised herself, that she would definitely make it worth his while when he came back. After all she was quite the experienced woman.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sabina smiled softly and crossed her legs in a seductive pose, as if she were hiding her sweetest meats for later. After a moment of priming, prepping and getting ready for a wild night of bestial love making, she was ready to receive her funny furry master.

"Open locks." She said, before adding in a sultry voice. "Come in my furry love muffin."

The door opened and much to her surprise three figures filed in. One a human with blond hair and a long maroon trench coat. The second was a beast of a man with shoulders one and half times the side of the doorway. His skin was light blue in hue, but he was covered with elaborate red markings. The last was woman with a hooded face. The only thing that could be seen about her, was her green skin. The human in the front seemed startled as he looked eye to eye with Sabina. The larger man just turned on his heels averting his gaze from her bare fuchsia body. The woman just stood there stoic like a statue, her eyes not giving anything away.

"Well, this was certainly the last thing I expected to find when I got here. Hey my name's Peter, Peter Quill, or Star-Lord if you want." The human stepped forward offering a clumsy gloved hand introduction.

Sabina smiled softly and covered her breasts with one arm. "Charmed." It was clear by her tone that was confused about what was going on.

"I'm Drax the destroyer." The hulking man stated, but still did not look at her.

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. The Destroyer." She said disconcertingly.

"And I am Gamora, what is the meaning of this and who are you?" The woman with the green skin pulled her hood back revealing her beautiful yet cold features.

"I'm Sabina. As for what's going on, I don't really know what you're talking about. I was offered a large sum of money to come here and wait for this odd little guy to come back." Sabina stated as she reached over and grabbed a pillow to cover up with.

"What manner of a meeting takes place without clothes?" Drax asked craning his neck, relieved that the stranger had covered up.

"The baby making kind." Peter Quill chuckled before helping himself to a spot on the bed next to Sabina.

"I don't understand why the beast would chose a woman of such common birth to bare his children. He's a Guardian of the Galaxy, a noble title to be sure." Drax crossed his arms over his massive chest.

"No Drax, not literately baby making. She's a prostitute...he was paying for sex." Peter Quill tried to explain.

"She's a whore!" Drax straightened up indignity.

"Wait, wait! I like to be referred to it as Nightly Companion thank you very much. Are you guys are the Guardians of the Galaxy? Why the hell are you here and not out there, oh I don't know Guarding the flarking galaxy." Sabina stood up from the bed and paced over to collect her clothing.

"Yes." Drax said proudly before covering his eyes.

"Uh huh." Gamora said clearing her throat.

"That's us. Interestingly enough Rocket messaged us, telling us to meet him at his apartment on Knowhere. Which I didn't even know he had an apartment here. Could have saved myself the trouble of crashing here, instead of in an alleyway gutter." Peter Quill explained, doing a poor job covering up the fact that he was checking the woman out, only to receive a hard kick to his shin for his effort.

"So the the fur ball is Rocket Raccoon. That makes the walking topiary his tree servant Groot." Sabina spit angrily as she pulled her top on. "Flark this, I'm too busy for this crap."

"Yep, that's them. So what happened to them?" Peter Quill was bent down rubbing his shin.

Sabina pulled her bottoms on snapping them up at her hips. "I don't know. He gave me a large sum of money and told me to stay here as long as I liked. I wasn't about to tell him no. Units and free room and board, I would be insane not to take it. That was like three weeks ago, however. I was starting to think he was dead."

"What was he doing when you last saw him?" Gamora took a step closer.

"He told me he had some business to take care of in the Gory Hole, paid me and then headed off." She breathed out heavily, her cheeks were turning red despite her fuchsia skin.

"Wait, the what?" Peter Quill was up off the bed now.

"The Gory Hole. It's a tavern on the edge of town." Sabina cocked her head to look up at him for a few seconds, before pulling on one of her tall boots.

"Oh! It's a bar? It's not a...you know what, never mind It's not that important. What IS important is why would Rocket send us here?" Peter Quill asked rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, it makes no sense. There are all of these pictures all over the wall. Men, women, children, are all of these people Rocket's baby carriers?" Drax stared in awe at the prowess of the small raccoonoids sexual endevours.

Then Drax frowned and looked at Peter Quill. "Never mind my thought process. I have figured it out. This is not his apartment, he has stolen the keys."

"What?! Oh my gods, what did he do to the real owners?" Sabina screeched, her gaze moving between the other three people in this room.

"Probably killed them..." Gamora said plainly.

Sabina clutched her chest and threatened to faint, Peter Quill stepped forth. "Or, or he just paid someone, so he could use their place while they were out of town. Jesus Gamora, what is wrong with you?"

"There is nothing wrong with me, why do I not look well?" Gamora asked feeling her forehead.

Just then there was a soft knock on the door. Gamora drew her sword from under her cloak and approached the door. Peter Quill drew both of this blasters from under his coat, aiming them at the door. Drax drew one of his daggers and propped himself by the door on the other side from Gamora. Sabina pulled a tiny stun blaster from her purse. It wasn't much, but it was strong enough to drop the largest of perpetrators.

Gamora opened the door with her free hand watching as the door slid away. She was poised to attack the visitor, if they showed any malcontent. Much to her surprise, as well as everyone elses. It was the security guard from the counter downstairs. They'd talked with him when they arrived. His gaze darted around the room at all the weapons aimed in his general direction. There was a shaky look on his face, he was obvious intimidated.

"I'm so sorry to disturb you, but a message just arrived for you." Tears were welling up in the little man's eyes, he was shaking so hard.

"No man, don't worry we're not going to kill you. We just thought you were someone else." Peter Quill holstered his blasters and reached in his pockets, fishing around for something.

Gamora gave a courteous nod and sheathed her sword. "I will take that message from you."

The man extended his shaky hand, it contained a sleek recording device. Gamora took it from him and stepped back. Before the guard could pull his hand back, Peter Quill pressed a units chip into it.

"Here you go buddy, for all the trouble. Sorry again." Peter Quill gave the security guard his friendliest smile, it just came off even more creepy.

The guard smiled nervously and nodded, before tearing down the hall. Away from the room. Gamora closed the door and turned her attention to the device. Peter Quill sat back down on the bed and looked up at her. Drax was standing next to Sabina, studying her scant attire. Sabina sneered and stepped away.

"So what do you suppose is on the device?" Peter Quill asked rolling his fingers in front of him.

Gamora shrugged an over exaggerated shrug before she pushed the only button on the side of the device and set it on the floor. A cool blue light shone from a tiny lens on the face of the device, it illuminated the darkened room. The blue light was finally forming into an image, it was full size hologram of Rocket Raccoon. A smile was smeared across his muzzle. The type of smile that said, he knew something they didn't know. His arms across his chest. That was when Peter Quill stood up, Rocket's right arm had been severed and replaced with an synthetic one. The usual jovial attire was nothing more than black leather armor. Despite his smile his eyes were serious.

"Play hologram!" Peter Quill said as he leaned down to get a closer look.

"Hey there you douche bags, it's good to not see you. I want to keep this short and sweet, because I've been through a lot the past few days." With that, he held up his new acquired robotic arm. "I want you three to know that I just feel terrible about not being there to meet with you, but I trust that my entertainment will be adequate for this inconvenience. Gamora I just assumed you're into that girl on girl thing, you just give off that vibe." Gamora sneered and balled her fists.

"Whatever happens don't let Drax go first, I've seen him in the shower and there would be no traction left, right big guy." Rocket cackled a belly laugh.

Drax was not amused however, in fact he may have even been blushing. Although since no one had ever seen him blush before, it was impossible to tell. Sabina however appeared to be taking a new interest in Drax.

"Be good to her guys, she deserves it." Rocket winked, and clicked his tongue.

"Oh flark you, you furry nutbag." Sabina scoffed and headed towards the door, disappearing through it.

"There is a new threat to the galaxy. A threat that is more dangerous than anything we've ever faced before. I need your help with this one. No guys, the whole galaxy need your help. I've wired the coordinates to the Milano 2.0. The Guardians of the Galaxy are being called upon once more, and it's the big one." Rocket's demeanor changed, he was more serious than any of them had ever seen him.

Then the charming smile was back. "I paid for you all to have some fun. So enjoy yourselves! Rendezvous with me tomorrow. See you then."

The hologram stood there for a long moment and then he adjusted himself, his head snapped to the side as someone off hologram spoke to him. "What?! What do you mean it's still running? Ah shit Groot, can you edit it?"

"I am Groot!" Could be heard in the background.

"Damnit! Well heh, technical difficulties and all. Everyone Groot says 'hi' by the..." The hologram ended abruptly.

No one spoke, they were all lost in the thought of what Rocket could have meant. Not that he said anything encrypted, but what could this new threat be. Something so dangerous that would ruffle the little psycho's fur. Gamora slouched down on the bed next to Peter Quill, she stayed quiet save for the heavy swallow. Drax leaned back against the wall shaking his head.

Peter Quill was the first one to finally speak. "Gamora, is that the reason you won't go out with me because you're into girls? It's okay if you are, I think it's cool."

Gamora shot him a glance, that was only slightly faster than the fist that followed it. The punch was solid, laying him out on the floor. Drax chuckled under his breath, not wanting to incur the same wrath from the deadliest woman in the galaxy. Gamora got up from the bed and paced to the door.

Gamora spitefully grumbling. "Well, since we won't be having any entertainment tonight, we best get a move on."

"I agree." Drax said evenly.

"I'm in...lets guard this Galaxy shall we." Peter quill said, peeling himself up off the floor and marching out the door.


End file.
